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Verbs

Disturb in Thai

“Disturb” in Thai is รบกวนróp-guan; you'll also hear กวนguan (annoy, pester).

รบกวน róp-guan

to bother, to disturb; could I trouble you to… (polite) verb

  • róp high
  • guan mid
  • High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
กวน guan

to annoy, to pester; to stir verb

  • guan mid
  • Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

How to use it

รบกวนróp-guan is the polite one. Thais start a favour with it, รบกวนหน่อยนะróp-guan nàwy ná, could I trouble you?, and end with ขอโทษที่รบกวนkǎw-tôot tîi róp-guan, sorry to have bothered you: the เกรงใจgreeng-jai spirit of not wanting to impose. A hotel's "do not disturb" sign says กรุณาอย่ารบกวนgà-rú-naa yàa róp-guan.

กวนguan on its own is pestering someone or winding them up, and in the kitchen it means to stir.

Other spellings you'll see

There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:

  • rop kuan
  • robguan
  • rob kuan
  • kuan

More verbs in Thai

All verbs
  • เป็น bpen Be

    to be (a nationality, a job, a role)

  • มี mii Have

    to have

  • ไป bpai Go

    to go

  • มา maa Come

    to come

  • กิน gin Eat

    to eat

  • ดื่ม dùuem Drink

    to drink

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones