ขัน
water dipper
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 water dipper、bowl for water、basin-like vessel
- 2 tighten、screw tight、wind up
- 3 crow、coo or call [birds]
- 4 laughable、ridiculous、absurd
ขัน is a Thai word with several separate everyday meanings: a water-dipping bowl, tightening something by turning it, a rooster or bird crowing, and something being laughable or ridiculous. It is best learned as several homographs rather than one single idea.
water dipper、bowl for water、basin-like vessel
A round bowl-like vessel used to hold or scoop water, especially in bathrooms, temples, and traditional daily settings.
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ขันน้ำ khǎn náam a water dipper ขันน้ำ details
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ตักน้ำใส่ขัน tàk náam sày khǎn scoop water into the bowl ตักน้ำใส่ขัน details
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อาบน้ำด้วยขัน àap náam dûay khǎn bathe using a water dipper อาบน้ำด้วยขัน details
tighten、screw tight、wind up
To tighten something by turning it, such as a screw, nut, bolt, cap, or winding mechanism.
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ขันน็อต khǎn nɔ́t tighten a nut ขันน็อต details
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ขันสกรูให้แน่น khǎn sakruu hây nɛ̂n tighten the screw firmly ขันสกรูให้แน่น details
crow、coo or call [birds]
Used for the crowing or calling of roosters and some birds, especially in the common phrase ไก่ขัน.
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ไก่ขัน kày khǎn the rooster crows ไก่ขัน details
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ไก่ขันตอนเช้า kày khǎn tɔɔn cháaw the rooster crows in the morning ไก่ขันตอนเช้า details
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ได้ยินเสียงไก่ขัน dây yin sǐaŋ kày khǎn hear a rooster crowing ได้ยินเสียงไก่ขัน details
laughable、ridiculous、absurd
Describes something as laughable, ridiculous, or absurd, often with a slightly critical or mocking tone. The common form is น่าขัน.
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น่าขันมาก nâa khǎn mâak very ridiculous น่าขันมาก details
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เรื่องนี้น่าขัน rʉ̂aŋ níi nâa khǎn this story is laughable เรื่องนี้น่าขัน details
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สถานการณ์ที่น่าขัน sàthǎannákaan thîi nâa khǎn a ridiculous situation สถานการณ์ที่น่าขัน details
Learning notes
Explanation
ขัน has several unrelated meanings with the same spelling. For learners, the most useful chunks are ขันน้ำ “water dipper,” ขันน็อต “tighten a nut,” ไก่ขัน “a rooster crows,” and น่าขัน “ridiculous/laughable.” The noun ขัน can take classifiers such as ใบ or ลูก. Some words related to effort or energy, such as แข็งขัน, ขันแข็ง, and แข่งขัน, are better learned as separate vocabulary items at the beginner to lower-intermediate level.
Usage
As a noun, it appears in traditional bathing, water scooping, temple offerings, and daily-life contexts. In repair or tool-related talk it means to tighten. In descriptions of mornings or rural scenes it is used for a rooster crowing. In commentary or criticism, น่าขัน is used to call something laughable or ridiculous.
Caution
Even though ขัน can translate as “tighten,” it is not used for every kind of closing: use ปิด for closing a door, ล็อก for locking, and ผูกเนกไท for tying a necktie. Also, น่าขัน can sound mocking when used about a person or someone’s words.
Differences from similar words
1 water dipper synonyms
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ชาม is a general bowl, often for food. ขัน usually refers to a vessel used for water, especially for scooping or bathing.
2 tighten synonyms
3 crow synonyms
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ร้อง is a general verb for making a sound, crying, or calling. ขัน is specifically for the crowing or calling of roosters and certain birds.
4 laughable synonyms
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ตลก broadly means funny or amusing and can be lighthearted. ขัน or น่าขัน often means laughable or ridiculous, with more judgment in it.