a drunk
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 a drunk
This everyday term refers to a person who is drunk from alcohol. Depending on the context, it can sound dismissive, like “a drunk.”
a drunk
A person who is intoxicated by alcohol, sometimes with a negative or dismissive tone when used as a label.
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เขาพาคนเมากลับบ้าน khǎw phaa khon maw klàp bâan He took the drunk person home. เขาพาคนเมากลับบ้าน details
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อย่าไปเถียงกับคนเมา yàa pay thǐaŋ kàp khon maw Don't argue with a drunk person. อย่าไปเถียงกับคนเมา details
Learning notes
Explanation
คนเมา is formed from คน (“person”) and เมา (“drunk”), so its basic meaning is “a person who is drunk.” It normally describes someone currently intoxicated by alcohol. When used to label someone, however, it can carry a dismissive tone similar to “a drunk.” The classifier for counting such people is คน, as in คนเมาหนึ่งคน, “one drunk person.”
Usage
It is commonly used when discussing an intoxicated person at a party, bar, restaurant, on the street, or at home. It also appears when talking about helping a drunk person, handling an intoxicated customer, or addressing safety concerns.
Caution
Without further qualification, คนเมา normally implies intoxication from alcohol, not motion sickness. Other kinds of sickness use more specific expressions such as เมารถ (“to get carsick”). Calling someone คนเมา directly may sound insulting; เขาเมา (“He/She is drunk”) is more neutral when simply describing the person's condition.