News and societyto investigate, to question (by the police) verb
- sàwp low
- sǔan rising
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
How to use it
สอบสวนsàwp-sǔan is what the police do with a case: to investigate and to question people. The officer in charge of a case is the พนักงานสอบสวนpá-nák-ngaan sàwp-sǔan, the inquiry official at the police station, who takes your statement when you report a crime.
To look into something more generally, like a bill or a document, is ตรวจสอบdtrùat-sàwp, to check.
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:
- sopsuan
- sob suan
- sopsouan
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones