สาง
comb out (tangled hair or fur)
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 comb out (tangled hair or fur)、disentangle (threads or fibers)
- 2 unravel (a complicated problem)、clear up (a matter)
- 3 dawn、begin to grow light
- 4 ghost or supernatural being [old-fashioned]
This word describes disentangling something, clearing up a complicated matter, or the sky beginning to brighten. It is most often encountered in combinations such as สางผม, สางปม, and ฟ้าสาง.
comb out (tangled hair or fur)、disentangle (threads or fibers)
Describes separating and smoothing tangled hair, fur, fibers, or similar material.
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สางผมที่พันกัน sǎaŋ phǒm thîi phan kan Comb out tangled hair. สางผมที่พันกัน details
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เครื่องสางเส้นใยฝ้าย khrʉ̂aŋ sǎaŋ sên yay fâay a cotton fiber carding machine เครื่องสางเส้นใยฝ้าย details
unravel (a complicated problem)、clear up (a matter)
Describes untangling a complicated problem or situation so that it becomes clear or settled.
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สางปมปัญหา sǎaŋ pom panhǎa unravel a complicated problem สางปมปัญหา details
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ตำรวจพยายามสางคดีนี้ tamrùat phayaayaam sǎaŋ khadii níi The police are trying to clear up this case. ตำรวจพยายามสางคดีนี้ details
dawn、begin to grow light
Describes the darkness fading as the sky begins to brighten at dawn, normally in the expression ฟ้าสาง.
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เขาทำงานจนฟ้าสาง khǎw tham ŋaan con fáa sǎaŋ He worked until dawn. เขาทำงานจนฟ้าสาง details
ghost or supernatural being [old-fashioned]
In older usage, it refers to a ghost or supernatural being. Today it is chiefly encountered as part of the established expression ผีสาง rather than used alone.
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เขาไม่กลัวผีสาง khǎw mây klua phǐi sǎaŋ He is not afraid of ghosts or supernatural beings. เขาไม่กลัวผีสาง details
Learning notes
Explanation
The most concrete image is that of separating tangled strands until they are smooth and orderly. With hair or fur, it appears in expressions such as สางผม and สางขน. The same image extends figuratively to complicated issues, as in สางปมปัญหา, “unravel a difficult problem.” For sorting out unfinished work or bringing a matter to a conclusion, however, the expanded form สะสาง is more common. For the dawn sense, it is most practical to learn the established expression ฟ้าสาง. Older dictionaries also record senses involving the stench of a corpse and a tiger-like mythical creature, but these are not productive meanings for beginning or intermediate learners today.
Usage
It is used when working tangles out of hair, animal fur, thread, or fibers. Figuratively, it can appear when unraveling a case or a complicated problem. ฟ้าสาง is common in descriptions of early departures, staying up all night, and narrative time settings. ผีสาง occurs in ghost stories and discussions of supernatural beings.
Caution
Do not confuse สาง with สร่าง, which contains ร and is used for recovering from drunkenness or illness, as in สร่างเมา and สร่างไข้. For ordinary hair combing, หวีผม is often more natural; สางผม specifically emphasizes removing tangles.
Differences from similar words
1 comb out (tangled hair or fur) synonyms
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หวี is the general verb for combing hair with a comb. สาง places more emphasis on working out tangles.
2 unravel (a complicated problem) synonyms
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สะสาง commonly means to sort out unfinished work or settle an unresolved matter. สาง on its own is more likely in expressions such as สางปม, which picture a complicated issue as a knot to be unraveled.
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แก้ is a broad, everyday verb meaning to fix or solve. สาง more strongly suggests unraveling the different parts of a tangled situation.