กลับ
return
Native recording
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- 1 return、go back、come back
- 2 flip over、turn over、reverse、make a U-turn
- 3 change into the opposite、turn out differently、reverse one’s position、reform oneself
- 4 back [return action]、in return、back to the sender or origin
- 5 instead、on the contrary、unexpectedly
กลับ centers on the idea of moving back or turning in the opposite direction. It can mean returning to a place, flipping something over, doing an action back in response, or marking an unexpected opposite result.
return、go back、come back
This sense means to return or go back to a place, especially home or a previous location. It is the most common everyday use.
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กลับบ้าน klàp bâan go home กลับบ้าน details
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เขากลับมาแล้ว khǎw klàp maa lɛ́ɛw He has already come back. เขากลับมาแล้ว details
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ฉันจะกลับไปญี่ปุ่นพรุ่งนี้ chǎn cà klàp pay yîipùn phrûŋníi I’ll go back to Japan tomorrow. ฉันจะกลับไปญี่ปุ่นพรุ่งนี้ details
flip over、turn over、reverse、make a U-turn
This sense means to flip, turn over, or reverse the direction of something. It is used for physical orientation, surfaces, and driving maneuvers.
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กลับปลาในกระทะ klàp plaa nay krathá flip the fish in the pan กลับปลาในกระทะ details
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กลับรถ klàp rót make a U-turn กลับรถ details
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กลับด้าน klàp dâan turn it to the other side กลับด้าน details
change into the opposite、turn out differently、reverse one’s position、reform oneself
This sense describes a state, attitude, or statement changing into the opposite of what it was before.
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กลับใจ klàp cay change one’s ways กลับใจ details
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เขากลับคำ khǎw klàp kham He went back on his word. เขากลับคำ details
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สถานการณ์กลับดีขึ้น sathǎannákaan klàp dii khʉ̂n The situation turned around and improved. สถานการณ์กลับดีขึ้น details
back [return action]、in return、back to the sender or origin
Placed after another verb, กลับ shows that the action goes back to the other person, the original place, or the previous direction.
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โทรกลับ thoo klàp call back โทรกลับ details
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ตอบกลับ tɔ̀ɔp klàp reply back ตอบกลับ details
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ส่งกลับ sòŋ klàp send back ส่งกลับ details
instead、on the contrary、unexpectedly
This use introduces a result that is opposite to what was expected or contrary to the previous statement, similar to “instead” or “on the contrary.”
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เขาไม่โกรธ กลับหัวเราะ khǎw mây kròot klàp hǔarɔ́ He didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed. เขาไม่โกรธ กลับหัวเราะ details
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ยิ่งรีบ กลับยิ่งช้า yîŋ rîip klàp yîŋ cháa The more you rush, the slower it gets. ยิ่งรีบ กลับยิ่งช้า details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image of กลับ is “back” or “in the opposite direction.” With places, it means to return or go home, as in กลับบ้าน “go home,” กลับมา “come back,” and กลับไป “go back.” มา points toward the speaker or reference point, while ไป points away from it. With physical objects, it means to flip or reverse something, as in flipping food in a pan or making a U-turn with a car. In abstract uses, it can describe a reversal of the mind, words, or situation, such as กลับใจ “change one’s ways” and กลับคำ “go back on one’s word.” After another verb, กลับ marks an action going back to someone or somewhere: โทรกลับ “call back,” ตอบกลับ “reply,” and ส่งกลับ “send back” are common everyday examples.
Usage
กลับ is used in everyday situations such as going home, traveling, giving directions, driving, calling or messaging someone back, and describing a change in attitude or situation. Expressions like กลับบ้าน, กลับมา, กลับไป, โทรกลับ, ตอบกลับ, and กลับรถ are especially useful early on.
Caution
Do not treat กลับ as only “go home.” As a main verb it can mean return, with objects it can mean flip or reverse, after another verb it often means doing something back, and in sentence flow it can mean instead or on the contrary.
Differences from similar words
1 return synonyms
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คืน often means to give something back or restore something to its original state. กลับ is broader and is the normal verb for a person returning or going home.
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ย้อนกลับ emphasizes going backward, retracing, or rewinding, often with routes, time, or media. กลับ is the general word for returning or going back.
2 flip over synonyms
3 change into the opposite synonyms
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กลับกลาย emphasizes that something ended up becoming something else, often unexpectedly. กลับ is broader and can describe a reversal of attitude, state, or words.
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เปลี่ยน is the general word for changing. กลับ is used when the change goes in the opposite direction from before.