กว่า
than
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 than、more; -er [comparison]
- 2 more than; over、a little over; ...-odd
- 3 until、by the time
This word marks a comparison or indicates that an amount goes beyond a stated number. In the pattern กว่าจะ…, it means “until” or “by the time,” often suggesting that reaching the result takes time or effort.
than、more; -er [comparison]
It marks a difference in degree between two people, things, actions, or states, corresponding to “than” or an English comparative form.
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วันนี้ร้อนกว่าเมื่อวาน wan níi rɔ́ɔn kwàa mʉ̂a waan Today is hotter than yesterday. วันนี้ร้อนกว่าเมื่อวาน details
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รถไฟเร็วกว่ารถบัส rót fay rew kwàa rót bàt The train is faster than the bus. รถไฟเร็วกว่ารถบัส details
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อันไหนดีกว่ากัน an nǎy dii kwàa kan Which one is better? อันไหนดีกว่ากัน details
more than; over、a little over; ...-odd
With numbers, it indicates an amount above a stated point or an approximate amount slightly beyond it.
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มีคนกว่าร้อยคน mii khon kwàa rɔ́ɔy khon There are more than one hundred people. มีคนกว่าร้อยคน details
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มีคนสิบกว่าคน mii khon sìp kwàa khon There are a little over ten people. มีคนสิบกว่าคน details
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เขาอายุสามสิบกว่า khǎw aayú sǎamsìp kwàa He is thirty-something. เขาอายุสามสิบกว่า details
until、by the time
In กว่าจะ…, it introduces the point when something is finally reached, often implying elapsed time, effort, or delay.
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กว่าจะเข้าใจต้องใช้เวลา kwàa cà khâwcay tɔ̂ŋ cháy weelaa It takes time to understand. กว่าจะเข้าใจต้องใช้เวลา details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of กว่า is going beyond a point used as a standard, whether in a comparison or a quantity. The basic comparison pattern is “item being described + quality or degree + กว่า + standard of comparison.” For example, สูงกว่าฉัน means “taller than me.” When the standard is obvious, it can be omitted, as in อันนี้ดีกว่า, “This one is better.” Position matters with numbers. กว่าสิบคน means “more than ten people,” while สิบกว่าคน usually means “a little over ten” or “ten-odd people.” An expression such as สามสิบกว่า gives a deliberately approximate range: “thirty-something” or “in one’s thirties.” For time, it is helpful to learn กว่า…จะ… or กว่าจะ… as a complete pattern. It often does more than mark an endpoint: it suggests that reaching the event involved time, effort, or delay. ดีกว่า literally means “better,” but with an unspoken alternative it commonly makes a judgment or suggestion: กลับบ้านดีกว่า means “We’d better go home,” and ไปกันดีกว่า means “Let’s go.” This is best understood as a common use of ดีกว่า, rather than a separate meaning of กว่า by itself.
Usage
กว่า is extremely common in both conversation and writing. It is used to compare prices, height, speed, ability, preferences, and other qualities; to give amounts above or slightly beyond a number; and to describe how long it takes before an event or result is reached.
Caution
In a comparison, the standard normally follows กว่า: วันนี้ร้อนกว่าเมื่อวาน literally follows the order “today is hot + กว่า + yesterday.” กว่าสิบ and สิบกว่า are not interchangeable in emphasis. The first focuses on exceeding ten, while the second gives an approximate amount such as “ten-odd.” Also, do not translate กว่า as “than” inside กว่าจะ…; treat the entire pattern as a time expression meaning “until” or “by the time.”
Differences from similar words
1 than synonyms
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ยิ่งกว่า means “even more” and adds emphasis. กว่า is the neutral, basic marker used for ordinary comparisons.
2 more than; over synonyms
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เกิน directly means “exceed” and can also mean “too much.” กว่า combines with a number to describe an amount above that point or a rough amount with an unspecified remainder.