สัก
about
Native recording
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- 1 about、some、a little、someday
- 2 not even one、not at all、not the slightest
- 3 tattoo、get a tattoo
- 4 teak、teak tree
สัก commonly makes an amount, number, or time less exact, as in “about,” “a little,” or “some.” In negative sentences it can mean “not even one.” It also means “to tattoo” as a verb and “teak” as a noun.
about、some、a little、someday
Placed before an amount, unit, or time expression, it presents it loosely as “about,” “some,” or “a little.” It can also make requests and wishes sound less abrupt.
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รอสักครู่ rɔɔ sàk khrûu Please wait a moment. รอสักครู่ details
not even one、not at all、not the slightest
In a negative construction, it appears before a unit or small amount to emphasize that there was not even one or not the slightest amount.
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ไม่มีสักคน mây mii sàk khon There isn't a single person. ไม่มีสักคน details
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เขาไม่พูดสักคำ khǎw mây phûut sàk kham He didn't say a word. เขาไม่พูดสักคำ details
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ฉันไม่เข้าใจสักนิด chǎn mây khâwcay sàk nít I don't understand at all. ฉันไม่เข้าใจสักนิด details
tattoo、get a tattoo
Means to permanently mark the skin with ink, usually with a picture, pattern, or text.
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เขาสักรูปเสือที่แขน khǎw sàk rûup sʉ̌a thîi khɛ̌ɛn He had a tiger tattooed on his arm. เขาสักรูปเสือที่แขน details
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ฉันอยากสักชื่อแม่ chǎn yàak sàk chʉ̂ʉ mɛ̂ɛ I want to get my mother's name tattooed. ฉันอยากสักชื่อแม่ details
teak、teak tree
Refers to teak, a durable tropical tree valued for its timber in furniture and construction.
Learning notes
Explanation
The most frequent use of สัก is as a grammatical word that leaves an amount or time somewhat open. สักสองวัน means “about two days,” สักคน can mean “someone” or “one person,” and สักวัน means “someday.” In a request such as ขอน้ำสักแก้ว, it also helps the request sound natural and less abrupt. Its effect changes in negative sentences. ไม่มีสักคน means “not a single person,” while ไม่พูดสักคำ means “not say a word.” The following unit represents the smallest possible amount, and the sentence denies even that. สักที is worth learning as a set expression. It can mean “finally” when something long awaited happens, or add impatient urging in a sentence such as พูดมาสักที, “Just say it already.” As a verb, สัก means “to tattoo.” As a noun, it means “teak.” ต้นสัก specifically refers to the tree, while ไม้สัก refers to teak wood or lumber.
Usage
In everyday conversation, สัก commonly appears when asking someone to wait, requesting an item, giving a rough period of time, or talking about an unspecified future day. In negative sentences, it emphasizes complete absence: nobody, not one word, or not even a little. The tattoo sense occurs in conversations about body art, fashion, and traditional tattooing. The teak sense is used when discussing trees, timber, furniture, and construction.
Caution
Do not translate สัก mechanically as “approximately.” In requests it may soften the wording; in negative sentences it means “not even one”; and in สักที it can express either “finally” or impatient urging. An imperative with สักที may sound irritated or disrespectful when addressed to a superior or customer. Do not confuse it with ซัก, a differently spelled word meaning “to wash” or “to launder.”
Differences from similar words
1 about synonyms
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ประมาณ directly expresses an approximate estimate and is widely used with numbers. สัก often presents an amount more lightly in conversation, softens a request, or indicates an unspecified future time, as in สักวัน.
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เพียง limits something to “only” or “merely,” often emphasizing how little it is. สัก usually leaves an amount or time unspecified rather than explicitly restricting it.