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Thai

ที่มา

Components

ที่
มา

Pronunciation

thîimaa

ที่มา

thîimaa

source

Native recording

Analyzing pitch…

  1. 1 source、reference source
  2. 2 origin、background、starting point

A noun for where something comes from. It can refer to the source of information or to the origin and background of a name, custom, event, or problem.

1

source、reference source

Noun⭐️3 Common

The person, publication, organization, or other source from which information or material was obtained.

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2

origin、background、starting point

Noun⭐️3 Common

The starting point or background from which a name, custom, event, project, or problem developed.

Show more (1)

Learning notes

Explanation

ที่มา is formed from ที่, referring to a place or point, and มา, “to come.” Its underlying image is therefore “the place something came from.” Common patterns include ที่มาของ + noun, meaning “the source, origin, or background of something,” and มีที่มาจาก + noun, meaning “to originate from” or “to come from.” In articles, reports, and charts, ที่มา: is commonly used as a “Source:” label. Whether it refers to information or to the history of a custom or event, the word looks back from the present thing to its point of origin.

Usage

It is commonly used to identify sources in news, reports, charts, and online content, or to ask where information came from. It is also used when discussing the origin of a name, food, festival, or custom, and when explaining the background of a problem, event, or project.

Caution

Use สาเหตุ when you specifically mean the direct cause of a result. ที่มา is broader and may cover a source, origin, or background. Also, when simply asking where a person or object came from, use มาจากไหน rather than treating ที่มา as an ordinary place of departure.

Differences from similar words

1 source synonyms

  • แหล่งที่มา more explicitly identifies a concrete source from which information or material was obtained. ที่มา is broader and can also refer to an origin or background.

2 origin synonyms

  • ต้นกำเนิด emphasizes the original beginning or birthplace of a person, culture, or phenomenon. ที่มา is broader and can also describe the story behind a name or how a project began.

  • สาเหตุ means the cause directly responsible for a result. ที่มา focuses more broadly on where something came from, including its origin and background.

Component words

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