ตื้น
shallow
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 shallow
- 2 superficial、shallow (in thought or understanding)
Describes something that does not extend far below the surface or, figuratively, does not go deeply into a subject.
shallow
Describes water, a hole, a container, a wound, or something similar whose bottom or inner extent is not far from the surface.
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เขาหายใจตื้นและเร็ว khǎw hǎaycay tʉ̂ʉn lɛ́ rew He is breathing rapidly and shallowly. เขาหายใจตื้นและเร็ว details
superficial、shallow (in thought or understanding)
Describes thought, understanding, or knowledge that does not examine a subject deeply, usually with a negative judgment.
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อย่าคิดตื้นๆ yàa khít tʉ̂ʉn tʉ̂ʉn Don't think so superficially. อย่าคิดตื้นๆ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image of ตื้น is that the bottom or inner extent is close to the surface. Its most basic use concerns the physical depth of water, holes, containers, and wounds. It also extends figuratively to thoughts or understanding that do not go deeply into a subject. Its basic opposite is ลึก, “deep,” while ลึกซึ้ง is also used for intellectual or emotional depth. Thai adjectives normally follow the nouns they describe, as in น้ำตื้น, “shallow water,” and แผลตื้น, “a shallow wound.” It can also describe how an action is performed, as in คิดตื้นๆ, “think superficially.”
Usage
It is commonly used when discussing the depth of water in rivers, seas, or pools, as well as holes and wounds. It also appears in conversation and discussion when criticizing an idea or analysis as superficial. It can describe breathing as well, as in หายใจตื้น, “breathe shallowly.”
Caution
ตื้น concerns depth. Use เตี้ย for a person or object that is short in height, and บาง for something thin. Calling someone's thinking ตื้น can sound strongly critical of their intelligence or judgment. It is more natural to specify what lacks depth, as in ความคิดตื้น, “shallow thinking,” or คิดตื้นๆ, “think superficially,” than to apply ตื้น directly to a person.
Differences from similar words
2 superficial synonyms
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ผิวเผิน describes examining, understanding, or treating something only at the surface level. ตื้น can express the same criticism but retains a more direct image of lacking depth.