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Thai

อาบ

Pronunciation

àap

อาบ

àap

bathe

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  1. 1 bathe、wash (someone's body)
  2. 2 bask in (sunlight)、sunbathe
  3. 3 be covered in (sweat, blood, etc.)、coat (a surface with a material)

This word describes bathing or having much of the body or a surface covered in water, light, sweat, or another substance. Its most common everyday use is อาบน้ำ, meaning “to bathe” or “to take a shower.”

3

be covered in (sweat, blood, etc.)、coat (a surface with a material)

Verb⭐️2 Not often used

Describes sweat, blood, or another substance covering much of a body or surface; it can also describe coating a surface with a material.

Learning notes

Explanation

The central image of อาบ is receiving water, light, or another substance over a large part of the body or a surface. Its most common use is อาบน้ำ. This covers bathing in a tub as well as washing the body in a shower; everyday Thai does not necessarily distinguish between the two. The substance received may follow the verb, as in อาบแดด “to sunbathe.” The construction can also be reversed: in เหงื่ออาบตัว, sweat is pictured as covering the body. อาบเลือด, “to be covered in blood,” has a vivid and potentially graphic tone.

Usage

อาบน้ำ is extremely common when discussing daily routines such as bathing in the morning or before bed. To say that someone bathes a child or an animal, the pattern อาบน้ำให้ followed by the person or animal is useful. อาบแดด commonly appears in beach and poolside settings. เหงื่ออาบตัว is used when describing strenuous work, heat, or exercise, while อาบเลือด appears in accounts of injuries, accidents, or violence.

Caution

For ordinary bathing, use the full expression อาบน้ำ rather than อาบ by itself. อาบ is not used for every situation that English can describe with “be showered with” or “be exposed to.” For example, being caught in the rain is normally โดนฝน, while deliberately remaining out in the rain is ตากฝน. Also, อาบทอง describes a gold-covered surface; it does not mean that the object is made of solid gold.

Differences from similar words

1 bathe synonyms

  • ล้าง is the general verb for washing dirt from hands, the face, dishes, and other things. อาบ usually involves washing the whole body with water.

  • แช่ means to leave something or oneself soaking in a liquid. อาบ focuses on bathing or washing the body, without necessarily implying a prolonged soak.

2 bask in (sunlight) synonyms

  • ตากแดด broadly means exposing a person or object to the sun, including drying things or having to remain in the heat. อาบแดด usually suggests intentionally relaxing in the sun.

3 be covered in (sweat, blood, etc.) synonyms

  • เปื้อน means to be stained or soiled, often on only part of a surface. อาบ suggests that a substance covers a large area and creates a stronger visual impression.

Component words

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