Daily Thai Confidence — Using เอาแต่ (āo-dtàe)

Helping Verb: เอาแต่ (āo-dtàe)
Meaning: to focus only on… / to keep doing something / to do nothing but…

In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the adverb เอาแต่ (āo-dtàe), which means ‘to focus only on…,’ ‘to keep doing something,’ or ‘to do nothing but…’ It often carries a negative or critical tone, suggesting that someone is paying attention to only one thing while ignoring other responsibilities, people, or considerations. It functions similarly to a helping verb to add a particular meaning to the verb that follows.

The typical structure usually follows the pattern: subject +เอาแต่ (āo-dtàe) + verb.

For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-^awyàang chên)

อย่าเอาแต่บ่น

^awyàa āo-dtāe bòn
Literal: Do not only focus on moaning.
Don’t keep complaining.

The verb บ่น (bòn) means ‘to moan,’ ‘to complain,’ or ‘to nag,’ ‘to grumble.’ It is used when someone repeatedly expresses dissatisfaction, annoyance, or criticism about something.

เขาเอาแต่นอนและไม่กินข้าวหลังเลิกกับแฟน

k^hǎo āo-dtàe nāwn láe mâi gīn-k^hâow ^hlǎng lêuhn gàb fāen
Literal: He only focus on sleeping and not eating after finish with girlfriend.
He just slept and stopped eating after breaking up with his girlfriend.

The verb นอน (nāwn) means ‘to sleep’ or ‘to lie down.’ The core meaning is actually ‘to lie down’ or ‘to be in a lying position.’ However, in daily speech it is often used to mean ‘to go to sleep.’

เขาเอาแต่เล่นเกมทั้งวันและไม่ช่วยพ่อแม่ทำอะไรเลย

k^hǎo āo-dtàe lên game t^háng wān láe mâi chûay p^hâw-mâe t^hām á-rāi lēuy
Literal: He only focus on playing game all day and not help father-mother do anything at all.
He spends all day playing games and doesn’t help his parents with anything.

The word อะไร (à-rāi) can function as a question word meaning ‘what?” when asking a question. However, it can also function as a pronoun meaning ‘anything’ or ‘something.’

เขาเอาแต่ทำงานและไม่สนใจครอบครัว

k^hǎo āo-dtàe t^hām-ngāan láe mâi sǒn-jāi k^hrâwb-k^hrūa
Literal: He only focus on working and not interested in family.
He is so focused on working that he neglected his family.

The verb ไม่สนใจ (mâi sǒn-jāi) means ‘to not care,’ ‘to not be interested in,’ or ‘to ignore.’ It expresses a lack of attention, interest, or emotional involvement toward something or something.

Homework (การบ้าน — gāan-bâan)

Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.

1. He only plays games and doesn’t do his homework.
2. She keeps thinking about old problems.
3. He only works and has no time for his family.
4. She keeps crying when she doesn’t get what she want.
5. He just kept eating and didn’t talk to anyone.

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