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Thai

พับ

Pronunciation

pháp

พับ

pháp

fold

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  1. 1 fold、fold up
  2. 2 shelve (a plan)、abandon (a project)
  3. 3 [counter for bolts of cloth]

This word mainly describes folding paper, cloth, or another object over onto itself. It can also mean shelving or abandoning a plan.

1

fold、fold up

Verb⭐️4 Often used

To bend something over onto itself or collapse it into a smaller, folded form.

Show more (2)
2

shelve (a plan)、abandon (a project)

Verb⭐️2 Not often used

To stop pursuing a plan or project, either shelving it for now or abandoning it.

Learning notes

Explanation

The central image is bending a flat or spread-out object over onto itself so that it becomes layered and compact. The same verb can therefore be used for folding paper, folding clothes, and folding up furniture. Common patterns include พับครึ่ง (“fold in half”), พับเก็บ (“fold up and put away”), and พับได้ (“foldable” or “can be folded”). With a plan or project, พับ is figurative: the idea is that the matter is folded up and put aside, so it is shelved or abandoned. As a classifier, พับ is used mainly for cloth made up into folded bolts.

Usage

It is common in everyday situations such as folding paper, doing laundry, or folding up an umbrella. พับได้ is often used to describe foldable furniture and products. In news and business contexts, it can describe shelving or abandoning a plan or project. Its classifier use is mainly encountered when buying, selling, or discussing bolts of fabric.

Caution

พับ involves bending, layering, or collapsing something into a folded form. For simply closing a door, box, or book, ปิด is normally used. With an umbrella, พับร่ม suggests folding it up, while หุบร่ม focuses on bringing the open canopy down. When พับ refers to a plan, context determines whether the plan is merely on hold or has been abandoned completely.

Differences from similar words

1 fold synonyms

  • ทบ emphasizes turning one layer over another or doubling it over. พับ is the more general word for folding paper, clothes, furniture, and many other objects.

2 shelve (a plan) synonyms

  • ยกเลิก is the standard general verb for formally canceling an event, agreement, or service. พับ is figurative and is used mainly when a plan or project is shelved or abandoned.

  • ล้มเลิก clearly conveys giving up and abandoning an undertaking. พับ is a shorter figurative expression and may also refer to putting something on hold temporarily.

Component words

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