Language/Thai/Vocabulary/How-to-say-"I"
In many languages, there is only one word in the singular to refer to oneself, ‘I’. The Thai language has so many words to say "I" that it is sometimes very difficult to know when they speak of themselves.
It sounds very complicated! 🤔😡
I will try to list them, starting with the beginner level and working up to more intermediate words. Let's see how to say and use ‘I’ in Thai.
"I" in Thai: Beginner Level[edit | edit source]
ผม[edit | edit source]
pŏm
The former is the most common word, which pronounces pŏm ’with a rising tone. This is the default way for men to refer to themselves, and it's pretty polite, too. Also, just like the word "krap", women sometimes use this word to refer to themselves.
ฉัน[edit | edit source]
chăn
The other most common word is ฉัน, which pronounces ‘chan’ in a rising tone. This is the default way for women to refer to themselves, and it's also quite polite and formal. Still, some men use it with their close friends or family.
ดิฉัน[edit | edit source]
dì-chăn
ดิฉัน is similar to ฉัน (chan), is more used in formal contexts.
กระผม[edit | edit source]
grà-pŏm
This is another word used only by men, and it is used to show respect when speaking to people perceived to have "higher status" than you. For example, the doorman of an expensive hotel may say this when talking to a hotel guest.
พี่[edit | edit source]
pêe
Literally meaning "big brother / sister", this is a fairly common word that can be used for "I" when talking to someone younger than you.
น้อง[edit | edit source]
nóng
The opposite of "nóng" means "little brother / sister". and can be used to mean "I" when talking to people older than you.
เรา[edit | edit source]
rao
“Rao” is an interesting word. It actually means "we", but it's always used as "I." Imagine your girlfriend saying “We weren't having fun! Or she uses 'we' to refer to herself. Only women use this word ...
เค้า[edit | edit source]
káo
You are probably familiar with these two words to me "he, she" and rare instances of "they, they". In very rare cases, it can also mean "I".
หนู[edit | edit source]
nŏo
This word technically means "mouse". But it's also a word Thai girls like to use to refer to themselves when trying to look a little cute when talking to their mom / dad or boyfriend (not recommended for adults).
ข้อ ย[edit | edit source]
koi
kôi (your descendant) means "I" in the regional dialect of Isaan. It's pretty common, and it's neither rude nor overly polite.
ไอ[edit | edit source]
ai
ไอ, pronounced ‘I’, is a tapsap word that was taken directly from English. In Thailand, it is used by people who try to sound fancy by using English words mixed with Thai. They don't actually speak English, but they like to pretend they do. Using this word in Thailand will annoy most people. Personally, I never use it.
เดี๊ ย น[edit | edit source]
díian
In terms of politeness, it is between ฉัน and ดิฉัน. This is rarely used, because using it the speaker (often used by women) tries to sound classy.
And also…[edit | edit source]
You may also hear people using their first name or nickname as the "I." Pretty easy way, if you don't know which “I” to use.
"I" in Thai: Intermediate Level[edit | edit source]
However, I do not recommend using these words, unless ...
กู[edit | edit source]
goo
กู, pronounced "goo", is a very crass way to refer to yourself. If you've seen the movie "Honor of the Dragon," then you've heard that word. Towards the end of the film, when he tries to find his beloved elephant, he repeatedly shouts ช้าง กู อยู่ ไหน -cháang goo yòo năi-, which roughly translates to "where is my elephant? "
อาตมา, อาตมภาพ[edit | edit source]
àat-dtà-maa aa dtom paap
àat-dtà-maa or aa dtom paap, also means ‘I’, they are used only by monks. If you are a monk, you can use these words.
ข้าพเจ้า · ข้า[edit | edit source]
kâa-pá-jâo kâa
kâa-pá-jâo is not used very often. It’s an old, elegant and polite way of referring to oneself. Sometimes you may just hear ข้า abbreviated version. In the past, ข้า was a polite way of referring to oneself, so you will hear it often in Thai historical films. As another example, when you have to sign an immigration form to enter Thailand, the declaration in Thai uses kâa-pá-jâo as the word for "I". (Unless they have since changed ...)
เอง[edit | edit source]
eng
This word, "eng", is seldom used because it is both rude and classifies you as a very uneducated person. I've only seen it a few times in children's story books or songs.
ข้าพระพุทธเจ้า[edit | edit source]
kâa prá pút-tá-jâo
This is a royal Thai word, and is only used by those who are arguing with the Thai king or another member of the royal family. However, it’s not a word you will hear often, except in the cinema where it’s the first word of the royal anthem played before each film. Literally translated, it means ‘The servant of Lord Buddha.’
Be warned that if you pronounce this word in the wrong context, it may be considered a mockery of the Royal Family and it could get you in trouble.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
If you are not sure, use common words like pom or chan. But don't tempt others without understanding them in several different contexts. Remember that the goal is to communicate no to hurt...
I think there are still other ways of saying 'I', this is not a definitive list of words (some sections of society eg royalty and the military have their own words only they use, and terms relating to family relationships are also often used as pronouns), but this article includes most of the main ones. Here I hope this little list will help you to see more clearly and better understand when a Thai is talking about himself. Please feel free to share if you know of others.