ต้น
tree
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 tree、plant、plant stalk、trunk、stem
- 2 beginning、start、early part、opening part
- 3 [classifier for trees and plants]、[classifier for plant clumps or individual plants]
ต้น starts from the idea of a plant’s trunk, stalk, or whole plant, and extends to the beginning, source, original form, or early/basic stage of something. It is also a common classifier for plants.
tree、plant、plant stalk、trunk、stem
Refers to a plant as a whole, or to its trunk, stalk, or main body. It is often placed before a plant name to mean that plant or tree.
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ต้นไม้ tôn máay tree; plant ต้นไม้ details
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ต้นมะม่วง tôn mámûaŋ mango tree ต้นมะม่วง details
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ลำต้นแข็งแรง lamtôn khɛ̌ŋrɛɛŋ The trunk is strong. ลำต้นแข็งแรง details
beginning、start、early part、opening part
Means the beginning or early part of a time period, story, text, event, or process. It often contrasts with ปลาย, the end or later part.
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ต้นเดือน tôn dʉan the beginning of the month ต้นเดือน details
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ตั้งแต่ต้น tâŋ tɛ̀ɛ tôn from the beginning ตั้งแต่ต้น details
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ตอนต้นของเรื่อง tɔɔn tôn khɔ̌ɔŋ rʉ̂aŋ the beginning of the story ตอนต้นของเรื่อง details
[classifier for trees and plants]、[classifier for plant clumps or individual plants]
A classifier for plants such as trees, flowers, and shrubs. It can also be used for upright objects like posts or pillars, but learners should first learn it as the plant classifier.
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ต้นไม้สองต้น tôn máay sɔ̌ɔŋ tôn two trees ต้นไม้สองต้น details
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กุหลาบสามต้น kùlàap sǎam tôn three rose plants กุหลาบสามต้น details
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ต้นนี้แพงไหม tôn níi phɛɛŋ mǎy Is this plant expensive? ต้นนี้แพงไหม details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image of ต้น is a main body rising from a base, or the starting point of something. With plants, it appears in words such as ต้นไม้ “tree/plant” and ต้นมะม่วง “mango tree,” and it is also the classifier in phrases like ต้นไม้ 2 ต้น “two trees.” In abstract uses, it extends to early time, order, level, and source, as in ต้นเดือน “beginning of the month,” ตั้งแต่ต้น “from the beginning,” ขั้นต้น “basic,” ต้นฉบับ “original,” and ต้นแบบ “prototype.”
Usage
ต้น is common when talking about plants, the beginning of a period or text, basic levels in study or work, and originals or sources in translation, production, and document handling. It is a basic everyday word used in both speech and writing.
Caution
For wood as a material, ไม้ is the natural word. ต้นไม้ means a living tree or plant, while ต้น often works as a plant-name prefix or classifier. For “at first” as an adverbial phrase in a sentence, ตอนแรก is often more natural than using ต้น by itself.
Differences from similar words
1 tree synonyms
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ลำต้น specifically means the trunk or stem of a plant. ต้น can refer to that part, but it can also mean the whole plant or individual plant.
2 beginning synonyms
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แรก means first or initial, often emphasizing the very first item or experience. ต้น commonly marks the early part of a period, text, or process.