Nature and weather หนาม nǎam
thorn noun
- nǎam rising
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
You'll hear it in Kularb (กุหลาบ).
How to use it
หนามnǎam, with a rising tone, is a thorn or a spike: on roses and bougainvillea, on cactuses, on the husk of a durian. Don't let it slide into น้ำnáam, water, with a high tone. A famous proverb, หนามยอกเอาหนามบ่งnǎam yâwk ao nǎam bòng, "when a thorn pricks you, dig it out with a thorn", means fighting fire with fire.
Don't mix it up
-
น้ำnáam
water
High tone: water.
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:
- narm
Read more
More nature and weather in Thai
All nature and weather- เกาะ gàw Island in Thai
- ชายหาด chaai-hàat Beach in Thai
- ทะเล tá-lee Sea in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones