PeopleRival in Thai
“Rival” in Thai is คู่แข่งkûu-kàeng; you'll also hear คู่กัดkûu gàt (always at each other).
rival, competitor noun
- kûu falling
- kàeng low
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
a bickering pair, sparring partners noun always at each other
- kûu falling
- gàt low
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
From คู่kûu, a pair, and กัดgàt, to bite.
You'll hear คู่กัดkûu gàt in Khu Kat (คู่กัด).
How to use it
คู่แข่งkûu-kàeng, "competing partner", is a rival or a competitor: the shop across the road, the team you play, the other people up for a job. คู่กัดkûu gàt, "biting pair", is two people who are always at each other: squabbling siblings, a couple who bicker and still love each other, as in Bird Thongchai's song, or two teams with a long rivalry. A long-standing arch-rival is a คู่ปรับkûu-bpràp, and an enemy, someone who wishes you harm, a ศัตรูsàt-dtruu.
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:
- ku khaeng
- khu khaeng
- koo kaeng
- ku kat
- khu kat
- koo gat
Read more
More people in Thai
All people- ผู้หญิง pûu-yǐng Woman in Thai
- ผู้ชาย pûu-chaai Man in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones