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Thai

คลาน

Pronunciation

khlaan

คลาน

khlaan

crawl

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  1. 1 crawl、creep along

Describes crawling close to the ground, or, by extension, moving forward extremely slowly.

1

crawl、creep along

Verb⭐️3 Common

Means to move along close to a surface, especially on the hands and knees or with the body held low.

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Learning notes

Explanation

The core image of คลาน is movement with the body held low and close to the ground or another surface. It is the everyday word for a baby crawling and for a person moving on hands and knees. It often combines with direction words, as in คลานเข้าไป “crawl in” and คลานออกมา “crawl out.” By extension, it describes a vehicle creeping forward at an extremely low speed, especially in heavy traffic.

Usage

Commonly used when talking about a baby learning to crawl, someone moving on hands and knees through a low or narrow space, or vehicles inching forward in congested traffic.

Caution

Do not normally use คลาน for someone simply walking slowly; use เดินช้า ๆ instead. For the usual slithering movement of a snake, เลื้อย is more specific.

Differences from similar words

1 crawl synonyms

  • เลื้อย describes slithering or moving with a winding motion, especially by snakes. คลาน is the broader word for crawling close to the ground, including a baby moving on hands and knees.

  • ไต่ commonly refers to climbing or making one's way along a surface, often by gripping it. คลาน focuses on crawling with the body held close to the ground or another surface.

Component words

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