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Thai

ค้าง

Pronunciation

kháaŋ

ค้าง

kháaŋ

remain unfinished

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  1. 1 remain unfinished、be pending、be incomplete、be left undone
  2. 2 owe、be unpaid、be overdue、be outstanding
  3. 3 stay overnight、spend the night、lodge
  4. 4 get stuck、be lodged、freeze、stop responding
  5. 5 leave something in a state、keep open、hold down

ค้าง describes something that remains in place or gets held up instead of moving on, finishing, or being cleared. It is used for unfinished work, unpaid money, staying overnight, and devices freezing.

1

remain unfinished、be pending、be incomplete、be left undone

Verb⭐️4 Often used

Used when work, a matter, a package, or some process is still unfinished or pending instead of being completed.

2

owe、be unpaid、be overdue、be outstanding

Verb⭐️4 Often used

Used when money, rent, fees, or debt remain unpaid or still owed.

3

stay overnight、spend the night、lodge

Verb⭐️4 Often used

Means to stay somewhere overnight, often at a friend's house, a hotel, or during a trip.

4

get stuck、be lodged、freeze、stop responding

Verb⭐️4 Often used

Used when something gets stuck, or when a phone, computer, app, or screen freezes and stops responding.

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Learning notes

Explanation

The core idea of ค้าง is that something stops, stays, or remains in a state instead of moving on. This connects uses like งานค้าง “unfinished work,” ค้างเงิน “owe money,” ค้างคืน “stay overnight,” and มือถือค้าง “the phone freezes.” It often carries the sense that something should have been finished, paid, moved, or closed, but has not been.

Usage

This word is common in everyday speech, work situations, payments, travel, and tech problems. Useful expressions for learners include งานค้าง, ค้างเงิน, ค้างชำระ, ค้างคืน, คอมค้าง, แอปค้าง, and เปิดค้างไว้.

Caution

Although ค้าง can mean “remain,” it is not the usual word for a pleasant memory or general impression staying with you. It is more often used for something unfinished, unpaid, stuck, frozen, or left in an unresolved state.

Differences from similar words

1 remain unfinished synonyms

  • ชะงัก focuses on a sudden interruption or halt. ค้าง focuses more on the fact that the stopped or unfinished state remains.

  • เหลือ means simply to be left or remain. ค้าง often implies that something should have been completed or cleared but is still pending.

2 owe synonyms

  • ติดหนี้ also means to owe someone. ค้าง is especially common with rent, fees, balances, and payments that are overdue.

  • เป็นหนี้ directly means to be in debt. ค้าง focuses on the amount or obligation that remains unpaid or unsettled.

3 stay overnight synonyms

  • พัก is broader and can mean rest, stay, or lodge. ค้าง specifically emphasizes staying overnight.

  • พักแรม is a more formal or descriptive word for lodging overnight. ค้าง is very natural in everyday speech, such as staying at a friend's place.

4 get stuck synonyms

5 leave something in a state synonyms

Component words

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