open one’s eyes
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 open one’s eyes
Describes opening one’s eyes by raising the eyelids from a closed position.
open one’s eyes
Refers to the physical action of opening eyes that were closed.
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เขาลืมตาขึ้นช้า ๆ khǎw lʉʉm taa khʉ̂n cháa cháa He slowly opened his eyes. เขาลืมตาขึ้นช้า ๆ details
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ง่วงจนลืมตาไม่ขึ้น ŋûaŋ con lʉʉm taa mây khʉ̂n I’m so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open. ง่วงจนลืมตาไม่ขึ้น details
Learning notes
Explanation
ลืมตา is an everyday expression for physically opening closed eyes. Its opposite is หลับตา, “close one’s eyes.” ลืมตาขึ้น emphasizes the change from closed to open. ลืมตาไม่ขึ้น is a common pattern meaning that someone cannot open or keep their eyes open, often because of sleepiness or exhaustion. Although ลืม normally means “forget” when used by itself, ลืมตา should be learned as a unit meaning “open one’s eyes.” The fixed expression ลืมตาดูโลก means “be born,” while ลืมตาอ้าปาก refers to escaping hardship and becoming able to make a decent living.
Usage
It is commonly used when describing or asking someone to open their eyes, such as after waking up, during a medical examination, or while taking a photograph. It is also used when someone is too sleepy to keep their eyes open.
Caution
ลืมตา describes opening the eyelids and does not necessarily mean “wake up” or “get out of bed”; ตื่น is normally used for waking from sleep. ลืมตา by itself also does not usually express the figurative idea of becoming aware of reality.