ขยะ
kà-yà/kʰa˨˩.jaʔ˨˩/
The English word "trash" can be translated into Thai as ขยะ (kà-yà) or กาก.
Meaning: things to be discarded (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ขยะ | kà-yà | /kʰa˨˩.jaʔ˨˩/ |
| กาก | gàak | /kaːk̚˨˩/ /kaː˧.ka˨˩./ |
ขยะ is the standard term used for general garbage, household waste and street litter. In a metaphorical sense, the word กาก is used as slang to describe someone or something as being low quality, useless or "trash."
Which one should you use?
While ขยะ refers to general waste or garbage, กาก refers specifically to the dregs, residue or the useless remains of a process, such as coffee grounds or pulp.
How do you pronounce it?
The word ขยะ is pronounced kà-yà.
Did you know?
- The word กาก is borrowed from the Sanskrit word kāka, which actually means 'crow'.
- If you are eating, the word กาก might appear in the context of 'กากหมู', which refers to pork cracklings or the crispy bits left after rendering fat.
- In Thai gaming culture, กาก is frequently used as a harsh insult to describe a player who is unskilled or 'noob'.
Examples in context
- ฉันต้องการทิ้งขยะI need to throw away the trash.
- ถังขยะอยู่ที่ไหนWhere is the trash bin?
- คุณช่วยฉันเก็บขยะหน่อยได้ไหมCould you please help me pick up the trash?
- อย่าทิ้งขยะลงบนพื้น.ya thing kha-ya long bon phuen.Don't throw trash on the floor.
- ถังขยะอยู่ตรงไหนคะ?thang kha-ya yu trong nai kha?Where is the trash can?
- ฉันต้องแยกขยะก่อนทิ้ง.chan tong yaek kha-ya kon thing.I have to sort the trash before throwing it away.
Example conversation
Witthawat and Phimon are cleaning the living room together.
- วิทวัส Witthawatพิมล ช่วยเก็บขยะบนโต๊ะหน่อยครับPhimon chuai kep khaya bon to noi khrapPhimon, please pick up the trash on the table.
- พิมล Pimonได้ค่ะ จะเอาไปทิ้งเดี๋ยวนี้เลยdai kha cha ao pai thing diao ni loeiOkay, I will throw it away right now.
- วิทวัส Witthawatขอบคุณมากครับkhop khun mak khrapThank you very much.
- พิมล Pimonไม่เป็นไรค่ะ วิทวัสmai pen rai kha WitthawatYou're welcome, Witthawat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trash” translations and entries ขยะ, กาก, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กาก, ขยะ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
