ลำธาร
stream
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- 1 stream、brook
A natural stream or brook, typically smaller than a river and often found in forests, mountains, or valleys.
stream、brook
A relatively small, naturally flowing body of water, such as a stream or brook.
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มีลำธารไหลผ่านหมู่บ้าน mii lamthaan lǎy phàan mùu bâan A stream runs through the village. มีลำธารไหลผ่านหมู่บ้าน details
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เราเดินเลียบลำธาร raw dəən lîap lamthaan We walked along the stream. เราเดินเลียบลำธาร details
Learning notes
Explanation
ลำธาร is a noun for a small natural watercourse, especially one flowing through a forest, mountain area, or valley. Depending on the setting, it can be translated as “stream” or “brook.” The word combines ลำ, which evokes something long or extending in a line, with ธาร, meaning a flow or current. This gives it the image of water running in a narrow, continuous course. The usual classifier is สาย, as in ลำธารสายหนึ่ง, “one stream.”
Usage
This word is common when talking about hiking, camping, travel, and natural environments. It is useful for describing clear water, a stream running through a forest or village, walking along a stream, or playing in the water. It appears in everyday speech as well as nature writing and travel descriptions.
Caution
Do not confuse ลำธาร with แม่น้ำ, which normally means a larger river, or คลอง, which usually refers to a canal or constructed waterway. ลำธาร generally describes a small natural stream, not a roadside drain or similar artificial channel.
Differences from similar words
1 stream synonyms
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ลำน้ำ is a broader term for a river or watercourse and can refer to larger bodies of flowing water. ลำธาร specifically suggests a small natural stream.
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สายธาร also means a flowing stream, but it is somewhat more literary and is more readily used figuratively. ลำธาร is the more straightforward term for a physical stream in nature.
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ห้วย often refers to a small creek or ravine stream and is common in regional place names. ลำธาร is more geographically neutral and broadly describes a natural stream or brook.