ยา
medicine
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 medicine、medication
- 2 chemical agent
- 3 recreational drug、illicit drug
- 4 caulk、seal (a gap)
This word mainly refers to medicine used to treat or prevent illness. It also appears in names for chemical agents, can refer to illicit drugs in context, and functions as a verb meaning to caulk or seal a gap.
medicine、medication
Medicine used to treat or prevent illness, including tablets, liquid medicines, injections, and topical treatments.
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กินยา kin yaa take medicine กินยา details
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อย่าลืมกินยาหลังอาหาร yàa lʉʉm kin yaa lǎŋ aahǎan Don't forget to take your medicine after eating. อย่าลืมกินยาหลังอาหาร details
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ทายาตรงแผล thaa yaa troŋ phlɛ̌ɛ Apply medicine to the wound. ทายาตรงแผล details
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ยานี้ช่วยลดไข้ yaa níi chûay lót khây This medicine helps reduce fever. ยานี้ช่วยลดไข้ details
chemical agent
A chemical agent intended to produce a particular effect, usually identified by a following word that states its purpose or target.
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ยาเบื่อหนู yaa bʉ̀a nǔu rat poison ยาเบื่อหนู details
recreational drug、illicit drug
In informal contexts, it can refer to recreational or illicit drugs. The explicit term for addictive or illegal drugs is ยาเสพติด.
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เขาไม่ยุ่งเรื่องยา khǎw mây yûŋ rʉ̂aŋ yaa He stays away from drugs. เขาไม่ยุ่งเรื่องยา details
caulk、seal (a gap)
To fill and seal gaps or joints, especially to prevent water from leaking through them.
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ยาแนวกระเบื้อง yaanɛɛw krabʉ̂aŋ grout the tile joints ยาแนวกระเบื้อง details
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ช่างกำลังยาแนวห้องน้ำ châŋ kamlaŋ yaa nɛɛw hɔ̂ŋ náam The worker is grouting the bathroom. ช่างกำลังยาแนวห้องน้ำ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The most common meaning is “medicine.” ยา forms many compounds by taking a following word that describes the symptom, effect, or method of use, as in ยาแก้ปวด “painkiller.” Different verbs are used according to how medicine is administered: กินยา for taking it by mouth, ทายา for applying it to the skin, หยอดตา for putting in eye drops, and ฉีดยา for giving or receiving an injection. Medicines are counted according to their form or container: เม็ด for tablets, ขวด for bottles, หลอด for tubes, and ชนิด for kinds of medicine. The verb meaning “to caulk” is a separate use unrelated to medicine. Learners will most often encounter it in the fixed combination ยาแนว, meaning to grout or seal a joint.
Usage
It is extremely common in hospitals, pharmacies, and everyday conversations about symptoms, prescriptions, and taking medication. It also appears in names for pesticides and other chemical agents. In conversations about illegal drugs, ยา may be used as a shortened contextual term, while ยาเสพติด is clearer and more common in formal statements. In construction and repair work, it occurs in expressions such as ยาแนว.
Caution
By itself, ยา normally means medicine and does not automatically imply an illegal drug. Use ยาเสพติด when that meaning needs to be explicit. The standard expression for taking medicine by mouth is กินยา. Even with liquid medicine, กินยาน้ำ is generally more natural than ดื่มยา.
Differences from similar words
1 medicine synonyms
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เวชภัณฑ์ is a more formal umbrella term for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. ยา is the ordinary word for medicine in everyday speech.
2 chemical agent synonyms
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สารเคมี means any chemical substance, whether useful or harmful. ยา refers to an agent intended for a particular effect and is usually combined with a word specifying its purpose.
3 recreational drug synonyms
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สารเสพติด is a more explicit and often more formal term for an addictive substance. ยา can mean drugs in conversation, but by itself it may simply be understood as medicine.
4 caulk synonyms
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อุด is the general verb for plugging or blocking a hole, gap, or opening. ยา more specifically describes sealing joints with material to prevent leakage.