เกม
game
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 game、match、strategic maneuvering
- 2 game [counter]
- 3 be over [colloquial]
This word refers to a structured form of play or competition with rules or goals. It covers digital games, sports games, and figurative strategic maneuvering.
game、match、strategic maneuvering
A game played for fun or competition; depending on context, it can also mean a sports game or strategic maneuvering.
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เล่นเกมกันไหม lên keem kan mǎy Do you want to play a game? เล่นเกมกันไหม details
Show more (1)
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อย่าเล่นเกมกับฉัน yàa lên keem kàp chǎn Don't play games with me. อย่าเล่นเกมกับฉัน details
game [counter]
Used to count games or individual rounds of competition that run from beginning to end.
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ชนะสองเกมติด chaná sɔ̌ɔŋ keem tìt Win two games in a row. ชนะสองเกมติด details
be over [colloquial]
A colloquial use meaning that something has ended or been settled.
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เขาเกมแล้ว khǎw keem lɛ́ɛw He's done for. เขาเกมแล้ว details
Learning notes
Explanation
เกม is a common loanword from English “game.” Its most basic construction is เล่นเกม, meaning “play a game.” It is used for board games and children's games as well as games played on phones, computers, and consoles. In sports, เกม can refer to one complete game or to the action and course of play. It also serves as a counter, as in หนึ่งเกม “one game” and สองเกม “two games.” It can be extended figuratively to strategic struggles, as in เกมการเมือง “political maneuvering.” There is also a colloquial verb use meaning “to be over,” but it is limited. Learners should generally use จบ as the standard verb for “end” or “finish.”
Usage
It is common when inviting someone to play, explaining how a game works, discussing video games, or commenting on a sports match. In news, politics, and business, it may also describe strategic maneuvering for power or advantage.
Caution
Use เล่นเกม for “play a game.” ทำเกม instead can mean “build an attack” in sports or “make/develop a game” in a production context. เกม is not interchangeable with every sports term. นัด often counts scheduled matches, while เซต refers to a set in sports that use sets.
Differences from similar words
1 game synonyms
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การแข่งขัน broadly means a competition or contest. เกม can also refer to recreational play or to one complete game in a competition.
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นัด refers to a scheduled instance of a sporting match. เกม can refer more broadly to the match itself, including how it unfolds or is played.
3 be over [colloquial] synonyms
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จบ is the standard, widely applicable word for ending or finishing. เกม in this sense is colloquial and much more limited in use.