การ
kaan
Definition
Work, matter, the act of
When placed in front of a verb, it turns that verb into a noun (similar to adding "-ing" in English). For example, กิน (kin/ to eat) becomes การกิน (kaan-kin / eating).
Do Not Confuse With
Usage Notes
Even though the word ends with the letter ร (ro-rʉʉa / "r"), it is pronounced with an "n" sound. This is because of a fundamental Thai spelling rule: The Final Consonant Law. In Thai, when the letters ร (r), ล (l), or ณ/ญ (n/y) appear at the very end of a syllable, they always switch to the "Mâe Kon" (แม่กน) closing sound, which is a clear English "n". So, การ is written as kaar but spoken exactly as kaan.