earthquake
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- 1 earthquake
It refers to an earthquake, when movement within the Earth causes the ground to shake.
earthquake
An earthquake of any size, from a minor tremor to a major quake.
Learning notes
Explanation
The word combines แผ่นดิน (land or ground) with ไหว (to shake). Together, they form the noun “earthquake,” used in both everyday conversation and news reports. Common patterns are เกิดแผ่นดินไหว, meaning an earthquake occurs, and มีแผ่นดินไหว, meaning there is or was an earthquake. Use ครั้ง to count occurrences. แผ่นดินไหวครั้งนี้ means “this earthquake.”
Usage
Use it when discussing a quake you felt, reporting where an earthquake occurred or what damage it caused, and talking about earthquake preparedness.
Caution
This word does not normally describe vibrations caused by vehicles or machinery. In earthquake reports, ขนาด introduces the magnitude. แผ่นดินไหวขนาด 6.0 means “a magnitude 6.0 earthquake”; it does not describe the shaking intensity at a particular location.