มาก

Very

Level 1

Use มาก (mâak) after a quality expression to say 'very', or after an action such as eating to say 'a lot'. These are the patterns shown in this lesson. เยอะ is another way to express a large quantity; it does not replace มาก in every sentence.

How It Works

The word มาก (written here as mâak, with a falling-tone transcription) can mean 'very', 'much', or 'a lot'. This lesson illustrates two uses:

1. Degree of a Quality (Very): In these patterns, มาก follows an adjective or quality expression and indicates a high degree of that quality.
Example: ร้อนมาก (Hot very = Very hot).

2. Amount Associated with an Action (A Lot/Much): After a verb such as eating, มาก can indicate a large amount.
Example: กินมาก (Eat a lot). Here the amount eaten is large; the phrase does not itself say that eating is fast or frequent.

Read the Complete Construction:

  • Word Order: For the 'very hot' predicate pattern shown, มาก follows the quality expression. Use ร้อนมาก, rather than *มากร้อน. This exercise is not a rule for every construction containing มาก.
  • Quantity with Nouns: มาก can also occur in expressions of quantity, such as คนมาก (many people). เยอะ can express 'many/a lot' too. Choose the complete construction and its intended meaning; this lesson does not restrict มาก with nouns to formal writing or require เยอะ in all everyday quantity expressions.
  • Context and Social Tone: มาก alone does not guarantee a polite utterance. The surrounding words, particles, speakers, and situation matter. Compare เยอะ as a quantity alternative without assuming a universal frequency or politeness ranking.

Examples (5)

  1. อาหารอร่อยมาก

    The food is very delicious.

    Word by Word: food delicious very

    Here, มาก follows อร่อย and increases the degree of the food's deliciousness. The English sentence expresses this high degree rather than the quantity of food.

  2. เขากินมาก

    He eats a lot.

    Word by Word: he eat a lot

    Here, มาก follows กิน and indicates a large amount eaten. The English sentence selects a male referent and a habitual reading; เขา and the bare verb กิน do not by themselves specify that gender or habit.

  3. วันนี้ร้อนมากครับ

    Today is very hot.

    Word by Word: today hot very [polite]

    มาก follows ร้อน to express a high degree of heat. The polite particle comes after that predicate in this sentence. Its use depends on the speaker and situation; มาก itself does not make the utterance polite.

  4. ขอบคุณมาก

    Thank you very much.

    Word by Word: thank very much

    In ขอบคุณมาก, มาก adds intensity to the expression of gratitude. The chosen English equivalent is 'Thank you very much'; no frequency ranking is established by this example.

  5. สวยมาก

    Very beautiful.

    Word by Word: beautiful very

    A simple example of มาก following an adjective.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting มาก first in the predicate pattern intended to mean 'very hot'.

    มากร้อน
    ร้อนมาก

    For the 'very hot' predicate shown, use ร้อนมาก: มาก follows ร้อน. The exercise changes มากร้อน to ร้อนมาก for that intended meaning; it does not establish the position of มาก in every larger construction.

  • Say “Very Beautiful”.

    ไม่สวย
    สวยมาก

    สวยมาก means “very beautiful”. ไม่สวย means “not beautiful”, so it does not express the requested description. Both phrases are grammatical; choose the one that gives a high degree of beauty for this task.

How It Connects

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

มากLevel 1Very

Learn This First

To use 'มาก' (very), you need to understand the basic word order of Thai adjectives, specifically that they follow the word they modify. Since 'มาก' acts as an intensifier, it is placed immediately after the adjective it strengthens.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern