Where the action moves: ขึ้น, ออก, เข้า, ไว้
The Thai verb has no prefixes: the direction is brought by a second word after the verb. khan khuen — screw in, literally "turn upward"; khai ok — unscrew, "lead outward". What English packs into "in-" and "out-" here are separate words with meanings of their own. For example: “ขัน สกรู เข้า ไป” — Screw the screw inward. A rule from the Thai course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The Thai verb has no prefixes: the direction is brought by a second word after the verb. khan khuen — screw in, literally "turn upward"; khai ok — unscrew, "lead outward". What English packs into "in-" and "out-" here are separate words with meanings of their own.
You have long known these words as verbs of their own: khao — enter, ok — exit, khuen — rise. After another verb they only point the way: sai khao pai — insert inside; wang long — put down.
A special word is ไว้ (вай): after a verb it means "leave in place". kep wai — keep, gather and leave; pae wai — stick and not touch. English "leave it there" hides exactly here.
Everything can be gathered back through klap: khai klap — screw back. Direction in Thai is not a form of the verb but a second word you choose anew every time.
Table
| Direction | Word | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| up, into the thread | ขึ้น | khuen | ขัน ขึ้น — screw in |
| outward | ออก | ok | ไข ออก — unscrew |
| inward | เข้า | khao | ใส่ เข้า ไป — insert |
| down | ลง | long | วาง ลง — put down |
| leave in place | ไว้ | wai | เก็บ ไว้ — keep for oneself |
| back | กลับ | klap | ไข กลับ — screw back |
| together, to the end | รวม | ruam | รวม ไว้ — gather together |
By example
- ขัน สกรู เข้า ไปкхан сакруу кхао пайScrew the screw inward
- ไข สกรู ออกкхай сакруу оокUnscrew the screw outward
- แปะ กาว ไว้ ให้ แห้งпэ као вай хай кхэнгStick it and leave it to dry
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Where the action moves: how does it work in Thai?
The Thai verb has no prefixes: the direction is brought by a second word after the verb. khan khuen — screw in, literally "turn upward"; khai ok — unscrew, "lead outward". What English packs into "in-" and "out-" here are separate words with meanings of their own.
What does it look like in a Thai example sentence?
“ขัน สกรู เข้า ไป” (кхан сакруу кхао пай) — Screw the screw inward. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.