แมงมุม
mɛɛng-mum/mɛːŋ˧.mum˧/
The Thai word for "spider" is แมงมุม (mɛɛng-mum).
Meaning: arthropod (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced mɛɛng-mum. It consists of two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse แมงมุม (spider) with แมลง (mɛlɛɛng), which refers to insects. In Thai, the prefix แมง is used for arachnids/arthropods while แมลง is used for insects.
Did you know?
- The Thai word แมงมุม literally translates to 'corner animal' because มุม means 'corner'. This describes the spider's habit of building webs in the corners of rooms.
- The term แมงมุม is used in several Southeast Asian languages, such as Lao, showing a shared linguistic history regarding how these creatures are classified.
- While แมงมุม is the general term, Thai has specific names for different types of spiders that often describe their color or the shape of their webs.
Examples in context
- ฉันเห็นแมงมุมบนกำแพงchan hen maeng-mum bon gam-paengI saw a spider on the wall.
- ระวังแมงมุมตัวนั้นด้วยra-wang maeng-mum dtua nan duayBe careful of that spider.
- แมงมุมมีแปดขาmaeng-mum mee paed kaaSpiders have eight legs.
Example conversation
Pimon and Cholasit are in the living room.
- พิมล Pimonชลสิทธิ์ ดูนี่สิ มีแมงมุมบนเพดานCholasit duu nîi sì mī maeng-mum bon phee-daanCholasit, look at this, there is a spider on the ceiling.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitไหนครับ ผมไม่เห็นเลยnǎi khráp phǒm mâi hěn loeiWhere? I don't see it at all.
- พิมล Pimonอยู่ตรงมุมนั้นไงyùu trong mum nán ngaiIt is right there in that corner.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitโอ้ จริงด้วย เดี๋ยวผมจัดการเองครับôo jing dûay dǐao phǒm jàt-gaan eng khrápOh, you're right. I will handle it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spider” translations and entries แมงมุม, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries แมงมุม, CC BY-SA 4.0.
