เฝ้า
watch over
Native recording
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- 1 watch over、guard、attend (someone)
- 2 keep doing、continue to do
- 3 have an audience with、attend upon (royalty)
This word centers on staying attentive to someone or something over time. It can mean watching, guarding, or attending someone, and before another verb it emphasizes that the action continues. It also has a special formal use for entering the presence of royalty or a high-ranking person.
watch over、guard、attend (someone)
To remain near a person, place, or object and pay continued attention in order to guard it, watch it, or care for someone.
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ช่วยเฝ้ากระเป๋าให้หน่อย chûay fâw krapǎw hây nɔ̀ɔy Please keep an eye on my bag for a moment. ช่วยเฝ้ากระเป๋าให้หน่อย details
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เขาเฝ้าบ้านให้เพื่อน khǎw fâw bâan hây phʉ̂an He is looking after his friend's house. เขาเฝ้าบ้านให้เพื่อน details
keep doing、continue to do
Placed before another verb, it emphasizes that the action is sustained or repeated with continued attention or strong involvement.
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เราต้องเฝ้าดูสถานการณ์ต่อไป raw tɔ̂ŋ fâw duu sathǎannakaan tɔ̀ɔ pay We need to continue monitoring the situation. เราต้องเฝ้าดูสถานการณ์ต่อไป details
have an audience with、attend upon (royalty)
In royal or highly formal contexts, it means to enter the presence of, attend, or have an audience with royalty or another exalted person.
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คณะทูตเข้าเฝ้าพระมหากษัตริย์ khaná thûut khâw fâw phrá mahǎa kasàt The diplomatic delegation had an audience with the King. คณะทูตเข้าเฝ้าพระมหากษัตริย์ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of เฝ้า is maintaining attention toward one particular person, place, object, or activity. Before a noun, as in เฝ้าบ้าน, it means to remain near and watch or guard that object. With a patient or child, it can mean staying with and attending the person rather than merely observing them. Before another verb, as in เฝ้าดู or เฝ้ารอ, it highlights the duration or persistence of the action. Depending on context, it may also suggest strong expectation, concern, or preoccupation. In royal contexts, the word has the distinct meaning of entering someone's presence. The form เข้าเฝ้า is especially common in modern royal news and accounts of official ceremonies.
Usage
It is commonly used when someone watches a house or a bag, when police or security personnel guard a person or entrance, and when a family member stays with a patient or child. It also appears when someone keeps monitoring a developing situation or waits expectantly for an outcome. Its audience-related meaning is largely limited to royal news, official ceremonies, and historical accounts.
Caution
เฝ้า implies sustained attention. For simply looking once, ดู is more natural; for ordinary waiting without added persistence, use รอ. When เฝ้าดู takes a person as its object, it may mean either caring observation or intrusive surveillance depending on context. Also, do not use เข้าเฝ้า for an ordinary meeting; use พบ, ไปหา, or another general expression instead.
Differences from similar words
1 watch over synonyms
2 keep doing synonyms
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ต่อเนื่อง objectively describes something as continuous. เฝ้า presents a person as persistently directing attention or effort toward an action.