เน่า
rotten
Native recording
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- 1 rotten、decayed、decomposed
Describes something that has rotted or decomposed. Figuratively, it can also criticize a system, service, or other thing as badly deteriorated, corrupt, or dysfunctional.
rotten、decayed、decomposed
Describes food, organic matter, or tissue that has rotted or decomposed.
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อาหารเน่าแล้ว aahǎan nâw lɛ́ɛw The food has gone rotten. อาหารเน่าแล้ว details
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ไข่เน่า khày nâw a rotten egg ไข่เน่า details
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แผลเริ่มเน่า phlɛ̌ɛ rə̂əm nâw The wound is beginning to decay. แผลเริ่มเน่า details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image is of something that was once normal but has rotted into an unpleasant, unusable condition. As a Thai property word, it can follow a noun attributively, as in อาหารเน่า (“rotten food”), or function directly as the predicate, as in อาหารเน่าแล้ว (“the food has gone rotten”). No equivalent of “be” is required. The physical idea of decay extends to figurative criticism, such as สังคมเน่า (“a rotten society”). In casual expressions such as เน็ตเน่า, it describes a service or system that is performing terribly.
Usage
Commonly used when discussing rotten food, foul water, unpleasant smells, or decaying wounds. Figuratively, it appears in criticism of society or institutions and in casual complaints about poorly functioning internet connections, servers, and similar services.
Caution
เน่า means that something is actually rotten; an item that is merely past its expiration date is หมดอายุ. Applying เน่า figuratively to a person or their appearance can be strongly insulting.
Differences from similar words
1 rotten synonyms
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บูด is commonly used when cooked food, rice, or milk has spoiled or turned sour. เน่า is broader and more strongly suggests rotting, decomposition, and a foul smell.
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เสีย is a broader word meaning spoiled or broken, depending on the object. เน่า more specifically describes organic matter that is rotten or decomposing.