แรก
first
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 first
- 2 at first、initially、first
A basic word for something that comes before everything else in time, order, or experience. It commonly follows a noun to mean “the first,” and also appears in expressions meaning “at first” or “for the first time.”
first
Describes something that comes before all others in time or order, or belongs to the beginning stage.
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วันแรก wan rɛ̂ɛk the first day วันแรก details
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เขามาถึงเป็นคนแรก khǎw maa thʉ̌ŋ pen khon rɛ̂ɛk He was the first to arrive. เขามาถึงเป็นคนแรก details
at first、initially、first
Places an action or state at the beginning, often contrasting how things were initially with what happened later.
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ตอนแรกฉันไม่เข้าใจ tɔɔn rɛ̂ɛk chǎn mây khâwcay At first, I didn't understand. ตอนแรกฉันไม่เข้าใจ details
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แรกๆ ยังไม่ค่อยยุ่ง rɛ̂ɛk rɛ̂ɛk yaŋ mây khɔ̂y yûŋ In the beginning, it wasn't very busy yet. แรกๆ ยังไม่ค่อยยุ่ง details
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ฉันรู้ตั้งแต่แรกแล้ว chǎn rúu tâŋ tɛ̀ɛ rɛ̂ɛk lɛ́ɛw I knew from the beginning. ฉันรู้ตั้งแต่แรกแล้ว details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of แรก is the beginning of a timeline or sequence. It normally follows the noun it modifies: วันแรก means “the first day,” and คนแรก means “the first person.” ครั้งแรก expresses a first occasion or experience, while เป็นครั้งแรกที่ followed by a clause means “it is the first time that….” ตอนแรก and ทีแรก mean “at first,” ตั้งแต่แรก means “from the beginning,” and the repeated form แรกๆ refers to the early period rather than a single moment.
Usage
It is widely used for the first day of a schedule, the first person or item in a sequence, a first-time experience, and the early stage of an event. ตอนแรก is especially common when contrasting an initial situation with what happened later.
Caution
แรก normally follows the noun it modifies, so “the first day” is วันแรก, not แรกวัน. It identifies what comes first in a sequence, but a competitive ranking of “first place” is usually expressed with อันดับหนึ่ง.
Differences from similar words
1 first synonyms
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เดิม means “original” or “former” and often contrasts an earlier state with a later change. แรก means “first” in time or order and does not necessarily imply such a change.