Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| สวย | sǔai | /sua̯j˩˩˦/ |
| สุนทร | sǔn-tɔɔn | /sun˩˩˦.tʰɔːn˧/ |
| งาม | ngaam | /ŋaːm˧/ |
Thai uses different words for 'beautiful' depending on whether you are describing physical attractiveness, elegance or the aesthetic quality of art and nature. While สวย is the standard term for attractiveness, the compound form สวยงาม is often used to describe abstract concepts like 'a beautiful life' or 'beautiful scenery'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ by register and subject. สวย is the general term for being attractive. งาม is a more formal or literary term, often used to describe elegance, grace or aesthetic beauty in nature and art. สุนทร is a highly formal, literary term often specifically related to the beauty of language, sounds or poetry.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'very beautiful', you place the intensifier มาก (mâak) after the adjective สวย.
How do you pronounce it?
The default form สวย is pronounced /sua̯j˩˩˦/.
Did you know?
- The word สวย is remarkably similar in sound to the Thai word ซวย, which actually means 'bad luck' or 'unlucky'.
- While สวย is the standard word for 'beautiful', it is thought to be a loanword from the Teochew dialect of Chinese, specifically the word 媠.
- In Thai culture, describing someone as งาม implies a sense of grace and moral elegance that goes beyond mere physical appearance.
Examples in context
- คุณสวยมากYou're very beautiful.This sentence shows how to use สวย to describe a person.Tatoeba #8675854 by pastelite, translation #2218475 by CK
- ฉันสวยกว่าคุณI'm more beautiful than you.This sentence demonstrates a comparison using สวย.Tatoeba #8669071 by pastelite, translation #8322917 by CK
- ชีวิตช่างสวยงามLife is beautiful.This sentence shows how สวย is used in the context of life being beautiful.Tatoeba #7878796 by pastelite, translation #1829 by CK
- เธอมีความงามภายในและภายนอกเช่นกันYou have both inner and outer beauty.
- คุณสวยมากจังเลยYou're so beautiful!
- ทรงผมดูสวยมากเลยYour hairstyle looks really beautiful!
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chonlasit and Phimon are looking at a painting in an art gallery.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitรูปนี้สวยมากเลยครับ.rup ni suay mak loei krap.This picture is very beautiful.
- พิมล Pimonใช่ค่ะ สวยจริงๆ ด้วย.chai kha. suay jing jing duay.Yes, it really is beautiful.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitคุณชอบสไตล์นี้ไหมครับ?khun chop style ni mai krap?Do you like this style?
- พิมล Pimonชอบค่ะ ดูสวยงามมาก.chop kha. du suay ngam mak.I do. It looks very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries สวย, สุนทร, งาม, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries งาม, สวย, สุนทร, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
