ท่วม

Explanation

The core image is an amount exceeding its normal limits and covering an area or object. The very common expression น้ำท่วม refers to flooding or water damage affecting roads, homes, and land. น้ำท่วมบ้าน presents water as flooding a house, while บ้านน้ำท่วม makes the house the topic and says that it is flooded. บ้านถูกน้ำท่วม explicitly presents the house as being affected by flooding. A height can follow ถึง, as in น้ำท่วมถึงเข่า, to show how high the water reaches. The same image extends to figurative expressions such as งานท่วมหัว, meaning that someone is buried in work, and หนี้ท่วมหัว, meaning that someone is overwhelmed by debt.

Usage

Commonly used in everyday conversation, weather reports, disaster news, and traffic updates when roads, homes, or farmland are flooded. It also appears in conversation and writing to emphasize overwhelming amounts of work, debt, goods, or similar burdens.

Caution

Distinguish ท่วม from ล้น. When water spills over the rim of a glass, น้ำล้นแก้ว is natural; น้ำท่วมแก้ว normally is not. Also, do not automatically use ท่วม for emotions simply because English can say that someone “overflows with emotion”; Thai generally uses other expressions suited to the particular emotion.

1 overwhelm synonyms

• มากมาย

  mâakmaay many

  มากมาย neutrally means “a great many” or “a great deal.” ท่วม adds the image of being covered or overwhelmed by an excessive amount.

2 flood synonyms

• ล้น

  lón overflow

  ล้น focuses on something overflowing its container or boundary. ท่วม focuses on the resulting water spreading over and covering an area or object.

• เอ่อ

  ə̀ə rise (water)

  เอ่อ describes water swelling or gradually rising toward its boundary. ท่วม is used when water goes beyond its normal limits and covers an area or object.