Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| สกปรก | sòk-gà-bpròk | /sok̚˨˩.ka˨˩.prok̚˨˩/ |
| เลอะ | lə́ | /lɤʔ˦˥/ |
| เปื้อน | bpʉ̂ʉan | /pɯa̯n˥˩/ |
Thai uses different words to describe being dirty depending on whether you are talking about general filth, a smear or a specific stain.
Which one should you use?
สกปรก is the general adjective used for things that are unhygienic or filthy. เลอะ is a colloquial term used when something is messy or smeared, often implying a liquid or substance has spread across a surface. เปื้อน is used specifically when a surface or clothing is stained or marked by something like food, ink or mud.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say something is 'very dirty', you add มาก (mâak) after the adjective สกปรก. Additionally, the colloquial term เลอะ can be reduplicated into เลอะเทอะ to describe a state of being very messy or acting in a disorganized or sloppy manner.
How do you pronounce it?
The default form สกปรก is pronounced sòk-gà-bpròk.
Did you know?
- While เปื้อน refers to a stain, it is often used in the phrase เปื้อนยิ้ม to describe a face 'stained' with a smile, meaning someone is grinning broadly.
- While 'dirty' usually implies filth, the word เลอะเทอะ is frequently used to describe a person's speech or behavior as being 'nonsense' or 'nonsensical'.
- In Thai culture, the concept of 'dirt' is often linked to 'impurity', meaning สกปรก can describe something spiritually or morally unclean in certain religious contexts.
Examples in context
- มีดสกปรกThe knife is dirty.This sentence is useful for describing a knife that is สกปรก.Tatoeba #8715729 by pastelite, translation #2730923 by Hybrid
- บ้านนี้ หลังจากพายุแล้วยังสกปรกอยู่This house is still dirty after the storm.
- รองเท้าของเขาสกปรกมากrong thao khong khao sok-ka-prok makHis shoes are very dirty.
- อย่าไปเล่นในที่สกปรกya pai len nai thi sok-ka-prokDon't go playing in dirty places.
Example conversation
At home, a mother is talking to her son about his clothes.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinทำไมเสื้อผ้าสกปรกแบบนี้tham-mai suea-pha sok-ka-prok baep niWhy are your clothes so dirty?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatผมไปเล่นในสนามมาครับphom pai len nai sa-nam ma khrapI went playing in the field.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinไปอาบน้ำเดี๋ยวนี้เลยนะpai ap nam diao ni loei naGo take a shower right now.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatครับแม่khrap maeYes, Mom.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirty” translations and entries สกปรก, เลอะ, เปื้อน, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
