อยู่
yùu/juː˨˩/
The English verb 'stay' is translated into Thai as อยู่ (yùu). Wiktionary also lists คงอยู่ (kong-yùu).
Meaning: to remain in a particular place (verb)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| อยู่ | yùu | /juː˨˩/ |
| คงอยู่ | kong-yùu | /kʰoŋ˧.juː˨˩/ |
อยู่ is used to express the act of staying in a particular place, being in a location or living in a place. To express the specific idea of staying longer or continuing to stay, you can add the word ต่อ after อยู่. Additionally, if you are male, you can add krap at the end of a sentence to speak more politely.
Which one should you use?
อยู่ refers to being, living or staying in a physical location. In contrast, คงอยู่ is used for more abstract concepts, meaning to exist or to persist.
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding ที่ after อยู่, you create a construction meaning 'to be located at' or 'to stay at' a specific place.
How do you pronounce it?
/juː˨˩/ (yùu)
Did you know?
- The word อยู่ is used as a continuous aspect marker, similar to the English 'ing'. Placing it after a verb indicates that an action is currently happening or staying in progress.
- When used in the phrase อยู่ได้ ('can stay'), the word อยู่ can shift meaning to imply 'surviving' or 'enduring' a difficult situation.
- If you want to say you are 'staying' in a hotel, Thai speakers often use a different verb entirely, such as พัก, which emphasizes the concept of resting or lodging.
Examples in context
- อยู่บ้านStay at home.Tatoeba #8627337 by ojiisan, translation #591205 by CK
- อยู่ใกล้ ๆStay close.Tatoeba #8850940 by pastelite, translation #2111515 by CK
- อยู่ด้วยกันStay together.Tatoeba #8715734 by pastelite, translation #2111508 by CK
- โปรดพักอยู่ในห้องKindly stay in the room.
- มาอาศัยที่บ้านฉันได้เสมอYou can always stay at my house.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are talking about waiting at a cafe.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritคุณอยู่ตรงนี้ก่อนนะkhun yu trong ni kon naPlease stay right here for a moment.
- ณิชา Nichaค่ะ เดี๋ยวฉันก็มาkha diao chan ko maOkay, I will be right back.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritอย่าไปไหนไกลนะya pai nai klai naDon't go anywhere far.
- ณิชา Nichaไม่ไปไหนแน่นอนค่ะmai pai nai nae non khaI definitely won't go anywhere.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stay” translations and entries อยู่, คงอยู่, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
