แค่
only
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 only、just、merely、a mere
- 2 this much、that much、how much、to what extent
- 3 just by doing、as long as、just because
แค่ marks a limited amount, scope, role, or condition: “only this much,” “just,” or “no more than that.” Depending on the sentence, it can mean “only,” “just,” “merely,” or “just by doing something.”
only、just、merely、a mere
Limits a number, person, thing, action, or status to “only” or “just,” often implying that it is small, modest, or no more than expected.
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มีเงินแค่ 100 บาท mii ŋən khɛ̂ɛ rɔ́ɔy bàat I only have 100 baht. มีเงินแค่ 100 บาท details
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ฉันแค่อยากช่วย chǎn khɛ̂ɛ yàak chûay I just want to help. ฉันแค่อยากช่วย details
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เขาเป็นแค่เพื่อน khǎw pen khɛ̂ɛ phʉ̂an He is just a friend. เขาเป็นแค่เพื่อน details
this much、that much、how much、to what extent
Used in expressions like แค่นี้, แค่นั้น, and แค่ไหน to point to or ask about an amount, distance, degree, or extent.
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แค่นี้พอไหม khɛ̂ɛ níi phɔɔ mǎy Is this much enough? แค่นี้พอไหม details
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ไกลแค่ไหน klay khɛ̂ɛ nǎy How far is it? ไกลแค่ไหน details
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ทำได้แค่นั้น tham dâay khɛ̂ɛ nán That is all I can do. ทำได้แค่นั้น details
just by doing、as long as、just because
In the pattern แค่...ก็..., it means that just one condition or action is enough for the result: “just by...” or “as long as...”.
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แค่โทรมาก็พอ khɛ̂ɛ thoo maa kɔ̂ɔ phɔɔ Just calling is enough. แค่โทรมาก็พอ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of แค่ is limiting the scope: this much and no more, this action and nothing beyond it. It is very common in everyday speech. Important patterns include แค่ + number, แค่ + verb phrase, แค่ + noun, แค่นี้, แค่ไหน, and แค่...ก็.... It can sound neutral, modest, dismissive, or slightly negative depending on context.
Usage
It is used constantly in conversation, texting, and social media. You use it to say an amount is small, to limit your intention to “just” one thing, to make a request sound modest, or to say one condition is enough.
Caution
When used with a person’s role or status, it can sound dismissive. For example, เขาเป็นแค่พนักงาน can come across as “He’s just an employee,” depending on tone and context.
Differences from similar words
1 only synonyms
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เท่า focuses more on an exact amount or extent, while แค่ emphasizes limitation: no more than this, only this much.
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เพียง is a little more formal or written than แค่. แค่ is the everyday conversational choice for “only” or “just.”