ขึ้น
kʉ̂n/kʰɯn˥˩/
The English word "up" can be translated into Thai as ขึ้น (kʉ̂n).
In a directional sense, ขึ้น is used for movement towards a higher level or position.
Meaning: away from earth’s surface (adv)
Which one should you use?
The opposite of ขึ้น in terms of direction or increasing value is ลง. Additionally, adding the particle มา to form ขึ้นมา emphasizes the movement of something coming "up" towards the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a suffix after a verb, ขึ้น indicates the beginning of an action or a change in state.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kʰɯn˥˩/ (kʉ̂n).
Did you know?
- In Thai, ขึ้น is used in the term for 'getting into' a vehicle, such as a car or a bus, which translates literally as 'going up'.
- While ขึ้น means 'up', it is also used to describe the direction of movement towards the North in certain Thai contexts. This is because people traditionally viewed the North as a higher or more elevated direction.
- In certain contexts, adding ขึ้น to an adjective can create a comparative meaning similar to 'more' in English. For example, 'more beautiful' can be expressed using the concept of 'beauty rising'.
Examples in context
- ยืนขึ้น!Stand up!This example shows how to use ขึ้น to mean stand up.Tatoeba #7878505 by pastelite, translation #325429 by CK
- ทอมลุกขึ้นTom's up.This example shows the use of ขึ้น to indicate someone is up.Tatoeba #7784298 by pastelite, translation #2107644 by CK
- ราคากำลังขึ้นThe price is going up.This example demonstrates using ขึ้น to describe a price going up.Tatoeba #9165720 by pastelite, translation #1349965 by sacredceltic
- เดินขึ้นบันไดWalk up the stairs
- ยืนขึ้นStand up
- ขึ้นลงได้ไหมCan you go up and down?
- นั่งขึ้นมาSit up
- วิ่งขึ้นมาRun up
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Teeraphat and Pimol are looking at a colorful balloon floating into the sky.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatดูลูกโป่งสิ มันลอยขึ้นไปแล้วdu luk-pong si man loy khuen pai laewLook at the balloon, it floated up already.
- พิมล Pimonใช่ มันลอยขึ้นสูงมากเลยchai man loy khuen sung mak loeyYes, it floated up very high.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatเราจะมองเห็นมันได้นานไหมrao ja mong hen man dai nan maiWill we be able to see it for long?
- พิมล Pimonไม่น่าจะนะ เพราะมันยังลอยขึ้นไปอีกmai na ja na phraw man yang loy khuen pai ikI don't think so, because it's still going up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “up” translations and entries ขึ้น, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
