รู
hole
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 hole、opening、burrow
- 2 [classifier for holes]
This everyday word refers to a relatively small hole or opening into or through something. It is also used as the classifier for counting holes.
hole、opening、burrow
A relatively small opening in or through a surface, including an animal’s burrow or a small opening in the body.
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ถุงมีรู thǔŋ mii ruu There is a hole in the bag. ถุงมีรู details
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เจาะรูที่ผนัง cɔ̀ ruu thîi phanǎŋ Drill a hole in the wall. เจาะรูที่ผนัง details
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งูเลื้อยเข้าไปในรู ŋuu lʉ́ay khâw pay nay ruu The snake slithered into the hole. งูเลื้อยเข้าไปในรู details
[classifier for holes]
A classifier placed after a number when counting holes.
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เจาะรูสองรู cɔ̀ ruu sɔ̌ɔŋ ruu Drill two holes. เจาะรูสองรู details
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เสื้อตัวนี้มีรูสามรู sʉ̂a tua níi mii ruu sǎam ruu This shirt has three holes. เสื้อตัวนี้มีรูสามรู details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image of รู is an opening where part of a surface is missing, allowing access into or through something. It is used for holes in clothing, bags, and walls, as well as holes used by animals as shelters. It also commonly appears in compounds for bodily openings and very small holes. Useful combinations include มีรู “have a hole,” เจาะรู “make or drill a hole,” and อุดรู “plug a hole.” When counting, รู also serves as its own classifier: รูสองรู means “two holes,” with the first รู functioning as the noun and the second as the classifier.
Usage
It is common when talking about holes in clothing or bags, drilling into walls or boards, leaks caused by holes, and animal burrows. It also appears frequently in discussions of the body, skin care, and sewing, as in รูจมูก “nostril,” รูขุมขน “skin pore,” and รูเข็ม “the eye of a needle.”
Caution
Do not confuse รู with รู้, meaning “to know”; รู้ has the tone mark ้ and is a different word. For a larger pit dug in the ground, หลุม is often more appropriate, while ช่อง may be preferred for a gap, slot, or functional opening.
Differences from similar words
1 hole synonyms
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ช่อง covers spaces such as gaps, slots, compartments, and functional openings. รู more specifically suggests a relatively small hole in a surface, often leading inside or through it.
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หลุม usually means a pit or hollow in the ground and often suggests a larger depression with a bottom. รู is generally smaller and can be an opening that passes through a surface.