การ (kaan) in Thai: the prefix that turns verbs into nouns

Kaan, การgaan, turns a Thai verb into a noun, like English “-ing” or “-tion”: เดินทางdoen-taang is to travel, การเดินทางgaan doen-taang is travel, the journey.

การ gaan

-ing, -tion: turns a verb into a noun (the act of …) noun prefix

gaan mid

Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

How to use it

การgaan goes in front of a verb to name the action: การเรียนgaan rian, studying; การศึกษาgaan sùek-sǎa, education. It's the second most common word in written Thai: news, forms and textbooks are full of these nouns. Some have become everyday words of their own, like การบ้านgaan-bâan (homework) and การเมืองgaan-mueang (politics).

In conversation Thais often leave it out and use the plain verb: เรียนภาษาไทยยากไหมrian paa-sǎa tai yâak mǎi, is learning Thai hard? For qualities and feelings Thai uses ความkwaam instead: ความสุขkwaam sùk, happiness.