Daily Thai Confidence: Using เป้าหมาย (bpâo-hmǎai)

Thai Noun: เป้าหมาย (bpâo-^hmǎai)
Meaning: goal / target / objective

The Thai word เป้าหมาย (bpâo-^hmǎai) means “goal,” “target,” or “objective”. It refers to something you want to achieve, whether it is a personal goal, a learning objective, a work target or something you hope to accomplish in the future. It is a useful word when talking about personal development, education, work, planning and everyday life.

Here are some useful expressions to help you use this word naturally:

• มีเป้าหมาย (mēe bpâo-^hmǎai) = to have a goal
• ตั้งเป้าหมาย (dtâng bpâo-^hmǎai) = to set a goal
• บรรลุเป้าหมาย (bān-lū bpâo-^hmǎai) = to achieve a goal
• เป้าหมายระยะสั้น (bpâo-^hmǎai rá-yá sân) = short-term goal
• เป้าหมายระยะยาว (bpâo-^hmǎai rá-yá yāow) = long-term goal
• เป้าหมายในชีวิต (bpâo-^hmǎai nāi chēe-wíd) = life goal
• เป้าหมายในการเรียน (bpâo-^hmǎai nāi gāan-rīan) = learning goal
• เป้าหมายในการทำงาน (bpâo-^hmǎai nāi gāan-t^hām-ngāan) = work goal
• เป้าหมายที่ตั้งไว้ (bpâo-^hmǎai t^hêe dtâng wái) = a goal that has been set
• ละทิ้งเป้าหมาย (lá-t^híng bpâo-^hmǎai) = to abandon a goal
• ทำให้เป้าหมายเป็นจริง (t^hām-hâi bpâo-^hmǎai bpēn-jīng) = to make a goal a reality
• ปรับเปลี่ยนเป้าหมาย (bpràb-bplìan bpâo-^hmǎai) = to adjust goals / to change goals
• ทบทวนเป้าหมาย (t^hób-t^hūan bpâo-^hmǎai) = to review goals
• มุ่งไปสู่เป้าหมาย (mûng-bpāi-sùu bpâo-^hmǎai) = to move toward a goal

For example (ตัวอย่างเช่น – dtūa-^awyàang chên)

ผมมีเป้าหมายในการเรียนภาษาไทย

p^hǒm mēe bpâo-^hmǎai nāi gāan-rīan p^hāa-sǎa Thāi
Literal: I have goal in the process of learning language Thai.
I have a goal in learning Thai.

เป้าหมายของฉันคือพูดภาษาไทยให้ได้

bpâo-^hmǎai k^hǎwng-p^hǒm k^hēu p^hûud p^hāa-sǎa Thāi hâi dâi
Literal: Goal belonging to-me to be equal to speak language Thai for can.
My goal is to be able to speak Thai.

เราควรตั้งเป้าหมายให้ชัดเจน

rāo k^hūan dtâng bpâo-^hmǎai hâi chád-jāen
Literal: We should set goal for to be clear.
We should set clear goals.

เขาตั้งเป้าหมายว่าจะเก็บเงินให้ได้หนึ่งแสนบาท

k^hǎo dtâng bpâo-^hmǎai wâa jà gèb ngēuhn hâi dâi ^hněung sǎen bàad
Literal: He set goal that will save money for can one ten-thousand baht.
He set a goal to save 100,000 baht.

Grammar Help: Although ให้ (hâi) is commonly introduced as a verb meaning “to give,” “to let,” or “to allow,” it has another important function: it can be used to connect an action with the result or condition we want to achieve. When it is used in this context, it is placed after a verb phrase and followed by an adjective or a word describing a result – verb / verb phrase + ให้ (hâi) + adjective or result. It often means “to do something so that it becomes a certain way” or “to make something happen in a particular way”. In English, we might translate this structure using “so that,” “to make,” “in order to,” or “until,” depending on the context. It is like saying, “doing something so that the result is achieved.”

Practice Exercise (แบบฝึกหัด – bàeb fèuk-hàd)

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

1. My long-term goal is to open a restaurant.
2. I want to achieve the goal I have set.
3. Studying every day helps us get closer to our goal.
4. His work goal is to develop his skills.
5. Without a goal, we might not know where to start.
6. Don’t forget that everyone’s goals are different.
7. I have set a goal to become fluent in Thai within one year.
8. His goal is to have his own business.
9. Our goal is to be able to speak Thai confidently.
10. I’m trying to do everything I can to achieve the goal I have set.