แค่

Just and Only

Level 3

Use แค่ (khâe) before a noun, number, or verb to express 'only' or 'just'. It sets a limit or downplays the importance of something.

How It Works

แค่ (khâe) expresses a limit or extent.

1. Quantity: Before a number and classifier, it means 'only' that amount.
Example: แค่สองคน (khâe sǎawng khon) — 'Only two people'.

2. Actions: Before a verb, it can downplay the action or say it is all someone is doing. It may occur with เฉยๆ (chǒei-chǒei), 'just... and nothing else'.
Example: แค่ถาม (khâe thǎam) — 'Just asking'.

3. Physical Extent: It can show how far or how high something reaches.
Example: แค่เอว (khâe eo) — 'Up to the waist'.

4. Degree: แค่ไหน (khâe nǎi) asks 'to what extent?' or 'how much?' For example, ไกลแค่ไหน asks 'How far?'

Register: แค่ is common in everyday speech. เพียง is a more formal way to express 'only'; it can also limit an amount or height. For emphasis, แค่ can come before a phrase and เท่านั้น after it.

Examples (6)

  1. มีเงินแค่ร้อยเดียว

    I only have a hundred baht.

    Word by Word: have money only hundred single

    Here, แค่ limits the amount of money to just one hundred.

  2. เขาเป็นแค่เพื่อน

    He is just a friend.

    Word by Word: he is just friend

    แค่ is used before the noun 'friend' to define the limit of the relationship.

  3. ฉันแค่ล้อเล่น

    I'm just joking.

    Word by Word: I just play-joke

    แค่ precedes the verb to show that the action isn't serious.

  4. น้ำลึกแค่เข่า

    The water is only knee-deep (up to the knees).

    Word by Word: water deep up-to knee

    This demonstrates the physical boundary meaning of แค่, indicating a level or limit.

  5. ไกลแค่ไหน

    How far is it?

    Word by Word: far + to what extent

    This is a standard construction to ask about the degree or extent of distance.

  6. แค่สองนาทีก็เสร็จแล้ว

    It was finished in just two minutes.

    Word by Word: only two minute then finish already

    แค่ emphasizes that the duration of time is very short.

Common Mistakes

  • Using แค่ to mean 'just now' (recent time).

    ฉันแค่กินข้าว
    ฉันเพิ่งกินข้าว

    ฉันแค่กินข้าว is grammatical and means 'I am only eating' or 'I only eat,' depending on context. For the intended meaning 'I have just eaten,' use เพิ่ง: ฉันเพิ่งกินข้าว. แค่ limits the action; it does not mark recent time.

  • Placing แค่ after the noun or number.

    มีสองคนแค่
    มีแค่สองคน

    แค่ is a pre-modifier. It must come before the phrase it is limiting, not after it.

How It Connects

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

แค่Level 3Just and Only

Learn This First

To use แค่ (just/only), you need to understand how to count things in Thai using classifiers, as this pattern is most commonly used to limit quantities or durations. You should also be comfortable with basic sentence structure to correctly place the particle before the amount or action you are limiting.

Words in This Pattern

แค่แค่