เล่น
play
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 play、have fun
- 2 play (a sport or game)、gamble、engage in (a competitive or speculative activity)
- 3 play (an instrument or piece of music)、perform (music)
- 4 act、play (a role)、appear in (a production)
- 5 play with、fiddle with、play (audio or video)
- 6 for fun、as a joke、just to pass the time
A broad everyday word centered on doing something for fun. It also covers playing sports or games, performing music, acting, and casually handling or using something.
play、have fun
Describes amusing oneself or spending time in playful activity, alone or with someone or something.
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เด็กๆ กำลังเล่นกันอยู่ dèk dèk kamlaŋ lên kan yùu The children are playing. เด็กๆ กำลังเล่นกันอยู่ details
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ไปเล่นกับเพื่อน pay lên kàp phʉ̂an Go and play with friends. ไปเล่นกับเพื่อน details
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เด็กชอบเล่นน้ำ dèk chɔ̂ɔp lên náam Children like playing in the water. เด็กชอบเล่นน้ำ details
play (a sport or game)、gamble、engage in (a competitive or speculative activity)
Means taking part in a sport, game, gamble, or another activity involving competition, risk, or strategy.
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ฉันเล่นฟุตบอลทุกเย็น chǎn lên fút bɔɔn thúk yen I play soccer every evening. ฉันเล่นฟุตบอลทุกเย็น details
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คุณเล่นเกมอะไร khun lên keem aray What game do you play? คุณเล่นเกมอะไร details
play (an instrument or piece of music)、perform (music)
Means producing music by playing an instrument or performing a piece of music.
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เธอเล่นเปียโนเก่งมาก thəə lên pianoo kèŋ mâak She plays the piano very well. เธอเล่นเปียโนเก่งมาก details
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คุณเล่นกีตาร์เป็นไหม khun lên kiitaa pen mǎy Can you play the guitar? คุณเล่นกีตาร์เป็นไหม details
act、play (a role)、appear in (a production)
Means appearing in a dramatic production or portraying a character in a play, series, or movie.
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เขาเคยเล่นหนังหลายเรื่อง khǎw khəəy lên nǎŋ lǎay rʉ̂aŋ He has appeared in many movies. เขาเคยเล่นหนังหลายเรื่อง details
play with、fiddle with、play (audio or video)
Means casually handling or operating something, sometimes playfully or carelessly. With media and devices, it can also mean starting playback.
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อย่าเล่นมีด อันตราย yàa lên mîit antàraay Don't play with the knife. It's dangerous. อย่าเล่นมีด อันตราย details
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กดปุ่มนี้เพื่อเล่นวิดีโอ kòt pùm níi phʉ̂a lên wídiioo Press this button to play the video. กดปุ่มนี้เพื่อเล่นวิดีโอ details
for fun、as a joke、just to pass the time
Placed after an action to show that it is done for fun, as a joke, or merely to pass the time rather than for a serious purpose.
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พูดเล่น phûut lên Say it as a joke. พูดเล่น details
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ฉันถามเล่นๆ chǎn thǎam lên lên I was just asking for fun. ฉันถามเล่นๆ details
Learning notes
Explanation
เล่น is a very common everyday verb. Its central image is doing something with an element of fun, play, or recreation. Its range is wider than English “play” in some contexts and narrower in others. It appears in expressions such as เล่นฟุตบอล “play soccer,” เล่นเปียโน “play the piano,” and เล่นเป็นตำรวจ “play a police officer.” Common patterns include เล่นกับ + person or thing, meaning “play with”; เล่น + a sport, game, or instrument; and เล่นเป็น + a role, meaning “play the role of.” After another verb, เล่น or the frequently used repeated form เล่นๆ means that the action is done casually, jokingly, or just for fun. เล่น also occurs in fixed expressions whose meanings are not fully predictable, such as ล้อเล่น “joke” and เล่นงาน “attack or give someone a hard time.” These are best learned as complete expressions.
Usage
เล่น is used throughout everyday life: children playing, friends having fun, people taking part in sports and games, practicing instruments, and acting in stage or screen productions. It also appears when someone is using a phone casually, playing media, trading stocks, or gambling. After another verb, it often signals that the action is playful, casual, or not meant seriously.
Caution
The meaning depends heavily on what follows เล่น, so it cannot always be translated simply as “play.” In particular, เล่นหนัง normally means acting in movies, not playing a movie on a device. เปิดหนัง is commonly used for putting a movie on, while เล่นวิดีโอ can explicitly refer to video playback. Depending on tone and context, อย่ามาเล่นกับฉัน can be a forceful warning meaning “Don't mess with me,” rather than a literal request not to play together.
Differences from similar words
1 play synonyms
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เที่ยว means going out, traveling, or visiting places for enjoyment. เล่น focuses on the playful activity itself rather than going somewhere.
2 play (a sport or game) synonyms
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แข่งขัน explicitly means to compete for a result or ranking. เล่น can simply mean taking part in a sport or game without emphasizing competition.
3 play (an instrument or piece of music) synonyms
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บรรเลง specifically means to perform music and sounds somewhat more formal. เล่น is the ordinary everyday verb used with instruments and pieces of music.
4 act synonyms
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แสดง is a broader verb meaning to act, perform, present, or show. เล่น is commonly used in everyday speech for portraying a role or appearing in a movie or series.
5 play with synonyms
6 for fun synonyms
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จริงจัง means seriously or with genuine intent. Postverbal เล่นๆ expresses the opposite idea: doing something casually, playfully, or without serious intent.