บน

On

Level 1

บน (bon) means 'on' in the examples below, which place things on a bed, an appliance, a table, or a chair.

How It Works

The word บน (mid tone) is used as a preposition of place in this lesson. Read the examples with these points in mind:

  • Surface Location: The examples here put things on surfaces. The word can also occur with things in the sky and in other spatial or abstract contexts, so it does not always guarantee physical contact. A word meaning 'above' is เหนือ (nĕua).
  • Sentence Structure: The displayed full location statements use the locative verb อยู่ (yùu) before the preposition to say where something is. Action sentences can state where an action happens without that separate locative verb. For example: The book is on the table becomes năng-sǔue yùu bon dtó.
  • English Time Expressions: Do not automatically translate English 'on' as บน before a day name. The meeting exercise states the day directly. Other time expressions have their own wording, including constructions with ตอน.
  • Variations: Depending on context, ข้างบน (khâang bon) can mean 'upstairs', 'above', or 'on top'; context supplies the reference place.
  • Spiritual Context: Note that บน can also be a verb meaning 'to make a vow' or 'to promise an offering to a deity' (also found in บนบาน). This is a separate meaning from the preposition 'on'.

Examples (4)

  1. แมวนอนอยู่บนเตียง

    The cat is sleeping on the bed.

    Word by Word: Cat sleep located on bed

    This shows the standard use of บน to indicate a physical surface (the bed).

  2. เขาวางกุญแจไว้บนหลังคาตู้เย็น

    He placed the keys on top of the refrigerator.

    Word by Word: He place key keep on roof refrigerator

    บน is used here to specify the top surface of an appliance.

  3. มีจานหลายใบอยู่บนโต๊ะอาหาร

    There are many plates on the dining table.

    Word by Word: There-are plate many [classifier] located on table food

    This demonstrates the pattern 'อยู่บน' (located on) in a common household context.

  4. โทรศัพท์อยู่บนเก้าอี้

    The phone is on the chair.

    Word by Word: Phone located on chair

    A simple sentence showing the Subject + อยู่ + บน + Noun structure.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'บน' for days of the week or dates.

    เจอกันบนวันจันทร์
    เจอกันวันจันทร์

    For this meeting arrangement, say the day name directly. Do not copy English 'on Monday' by adding the surface-location preposition before the day. This exercise does not say that every Thai time phrase has the same structure.

  • Leaving out 'อยู่' (yùu) in the full location statement requested here.

    ปากกาบนโต๊ะ
    ปากกาอยู่บนโต๊ะ

    'ปากกาบนโต๊ะ' can be a noun phrase meaning 'the pen on the table'. For the full location statement requested here, use อยู่ to state where the pen is. This does not require a separate locative verb in every sentence that mentions a place.

How It Connects

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

บนLevel 1On

Learn This First

To use 'บน' (on) correctly, you need to understand how Thai sentences describe location, specifically using the verb 'อยู่' (to be located). You should also be familiar with basic Thai word order and general locative markers.

Words in This Pattern

บน