ราวกับ

As if

Level 3

ราวกับ can mean as if, as though, or like in a comparison. Read what is being compared in the whole sentence.

How It Works

Compare the Complete Phrases:
เขาร้องไห้ราวกับเด็กทารก compares his crying with a baby. เขาวิ่งเร็วราวกับลมพัด compares his speed with the wind. The words describe a resemblance; context supplies any exaggeration.

A Situation After the Connector:
เธอทำราวกับว่าเรื่องนี้ไม่เคยเกิดขึ้น describes her acting as though the matter never happened. ว่า introduces that proposition in this example. Learn the displayed whole phrase; it does not require ว่า in every comparison with a clause.

A Dreamlike Comparison:
The event example describes things happening quickly, like a dream. It does not define a measurable speed for dreams.

Compare Approximation:
ราวสามร้อยบาท gives an approximate amount in the selected card. Adding กับ changes the expression to a comparison and does not reproduce that intended amount.

Examples (4)

เขาร้องไห้ราวกับเด็กทารก
He cried as if he were a baby.
Word by Word: He cry as-if child baby
The phrase compares his crying with a baby’s. It does not by itself establish how old he is or why he is crying.
เหตุการณ์ที่เกิดขึ้นรวดเร็วราวกับฝัน
The events happened quickly, like a dream.
Word by Word: Event that happen fast as-if dream
ราวกับฝัน makes a dreamlike comparison. It does not mean that dreams have one particular speed.
เธอทำราวกับว่าเรื่องนี้ไม่เคยเกิดขึ้น
She acts as if this matter never happened.
Word by Word: She act as-if-that matter this not-ever happen
The example uses ราวกับว่า before the proposition เรื่องนี้ไม่เคยเกิดขึ้น. The whole sentence says she acts as though it never happened.
เขาวิ่งเร็วราวกับลมพัด
He runs as fast as the wind blows.
Word by Word: He run fast as-if wind blow
The sentence compares his running speed with the wind. That comparison presents him as fast without supplying a measured speed.

Common Mistakes

State An Approximate Amount Of Three Hundred Baht.
เขามีเงินราวกับสามร้อยบาท
เขามีเงินราวสามร้อยบาท
For the requested approximate amount, choose ราวสามร้อยบาท. ราวกับ introduces a comparison and does not give that same approximate-amount expression in the displayed sentence.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ราวกับLevel 3As if

Learn This First

To understand 'ราวกับ' (as if), you should first be comfortable with basic comparisons using 'เหมือน' and 'กับ'. It is also helpful to understand 'ดูเหมือน' (it seems), as 'ราวกับ' functions similarly but is used for more poetic or unreal comparisons.

ดูเหมือนIt Seems
This pattern introduces the concept of 'seeming' or 'appearing as if', which is a conceptual stepping stone to the more figurative 'ราวกับ'.
Level 3

Words in This Pattern