สะพาน
bridge
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 bridge、pier
- 2 bridge (connecting people or groups)、link
This word refers to something that spans a gap and allows passage or connection. It is used both for physical bridges and figuratively for links between people, groups, or cultures.
bridge、pier
A structure used to cross a river, road, or other obstacle. In some contexts, it can also refer to a pier extending over water.
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สะพานนี้ปิดซ่อม saphaan níi pìt sɔ̂m This bridge is closed for repairs. สะพานนี้ปิดซ่อม details
bridge (connecting people or groups)、link
Figuratively, something or someone that connects two people, groups, cultures, or other separated sides.
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ภาษาเป็นสะพานเชื่อมวัฒนธรรม phaasǎa pen saphaan chʉ̂am wátthanatham Language is a bridge between cultures. ภาษาเป็นสะพานเชื่อมวัฒนธรรม details
Learning notes
Explanation
This is a common, neutral noun. Its central image is something spanning a gap and connecting two separated sides. For a physical bridge, common combinations include ข้ามสะพาน (“cross a bridge”), ขึ้นสะพาน (“go up onto a bridge”), and ลงสะพาน (“come down from a bridge”). Near the water, it may also refer to a pier used for boarding or leaving a boat. Figuratively, it often appears in the pattern เป็นสะพานเชื่อม〜, meaning “serve as a bridge connecting ….” Bridges can be counted with แห่ง, as in สะพานหนึ่งแห่ง (“one bridge”). The noun itself may also be repeated as a classifier.
Usage
It is commonly used in directions and traffic reports, and when discussing how to cross a river or road or whether a bridge is open. It is also used figuratively in discussions of cultural exchange, international relations, negotiations, and personal connections.
Caution
สะพานลอย often means a pedestrian overpass, but it can also refer to a flyover for vehicles. To specify a pedestrian crossing, สะพานลอยคนข้าม or สะพานคนเดินข้าม can be used. Also, in romantic contexts, ทอดสะพาน can idiomatically mean signaling that someone is open to an approach, rather than literally building a bridge.