ถูก

Cognate with Southern Thai ทู๊ก, Isan ถืก, Lao ຖືກ (thư̄k), Northern Thai ᨳᩪᨠ, Khün ᨳᩪᨠ, Lü ᦏᦳᧅᧈ (ṫhuk¹), Tai Dam ꪖꪴꪀ, Shan ထုၵ်ႇ (thùk), Nong Zhuang tuk.

ถูก • (tùuk) (abstract noun ความถูก)

1. cheap; inexpensive

Likely a semantic extension of the "come into contact" sense of Etymology 3.

ถูก • (tùuk) (abstract noun ความถูก)

1. accurate; precise
2. appropriate; proper; suitable
3. conformable
4. correct; lawful; rightful

From Proto-Tai *C̬.tɯːkᴰ (“to come into contact”). Compare Middle Chinese 觸 (MC tsyhowk, “to touch; to come in contact with”). Cognate with Northern Thai ᨳᩪᨠ, Isan ถืก, Lao ຖືກ (thư̄k), Lü ᦏᦳᧅᧈ (ṫhuk¹), Khün ᨳᩪᨠ, Shan ထုၵ်ႇ (thùk), Tai Nüa ᥗᥧᥐᥴ (thúk), Ahom 𑜌𑜤𑜀𑜫 (thuk).

ถูก • (tùuk) (abstract noun การถูก)

1. to touch or be touched
2. to match; to fit together

Semantic extension of the "come into contact" sense of Etymology 3.

ถูก • (tùuk) (abstract noun การถูก)

1. (auxiliary) used as a passive voice marker

The passive voice marker ถูก (tùuk) is only used when the target of the action undergoes something unfavourable. Examples:

• ถูกข่มขืน

  tùuk kòm-kʉ̌ʉn

  to be raped

• ถูกด่า

  tùuk dàa

  to be spoken ill of

• ถูกทิ้ง

  tùuk tíng

  to be dumped (e.g. by a boyfriend)

• ถูกฆ่า

  tùuk kâa

  to be killed

• ถูกเก็บ

  tùuk gèp

  to be assassinated

• ถูกตบ

  tùuk dtòp

  to be slapped (e.g. in the face)

In some cases, the marker ถูก (tùuk) and a less formal marker, โดน (doon), can be used interchangeably.

If the target does not undergo an unfavourable situation, the marker ได้รับ(dâai ráp) is used.

These markers can sometimes be omitted.

• “ถูก” in Thai Dictionary Project (TDP) (UC Berkeley 1964) (plus additional data from the Royal Institute of Thailand (RI) and NECTEC's LEXITRON project (LEX)). Searchable online at SEAlang.net.