น่ารัก
nâa-rák/naː˥˩.rak̚˦˥/
The Thai word for cute is น่ารัก (nâa-rák).
น่ารัก is used to describe something or someone that is attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way. While it translates to 'cute', it is also frequently used to describe someone's behavior as 'lovely' or 'sweet' (e.g., a child being well-behaved).
Meaning: attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word น่ารัก is composed of น่า (nâa), meaning 'worthy of' or '-able' and รัก (rák), meaning 'love'. Literally, the term means worthy of love.
How does it change in a sentence?
To intensify the adjective, you can add มาก (mâak) after the word, resulting in น่ารักมาก.
How do you pronounce it?
nâa-rák
Did you know?
- The word น่ารัก is frequently used as a polite way to thank someone for a small favor, implying that the person's kindness was 'lovely' or 'sweet'.
- In Thailand, people often express that something is น่ารัก by making a 'finger heart' gesture, a trend imported from South Korean pop culture.
- To emphasize that something is extremely cute, Thais may repeat the word as น่ารักๆ 'nâa-rák nâa-rák', which creates a softer and more playful tone than using the formal intensifier มาก.
Examples in context
- คุณน่ารักYou're cute.This sentence shows how to use น่ารัก to tell someone they are cute.Tatoeba #8675926 by pastelite, translation #1989609 by CK
- คุณมีดวงตาที่น่ารักYou have cute eyes.This sentence uses น่ารัก to describe eyes.Tatoeba #8719791 by pastelite, translation #402423 by CK
- น้องสาวของผมไม่น่ารักขนาดนั้นหรอกMy little sister can't be this cute!This sentence uses น่ารัก to describe a person's level of cuteness.
- แมวตัวนี้น่ารักมาก! มีสีขาวสวยงามThis cat is so cute! It has beautiful white fur.
Example conversation
Sirin and Thanakrit are looking at a puppy in a pet shop.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinดูลูกหมาตัวนั้นสิ น่ารักจังเลยdu luk ma tua nan si, na rak chang loeiLook at that puppy, it's so cute!
- ธนกฤต Thanakritใช่ครับ ตัวเล็กน่ารักมากchai khrap, tua lek na rak makYes, it's very small and cute.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinอยากได้ลูกหมาน่ารักๆ แบบนี้สักตัวyak dai luk ma na rak rak baep ni sak tuaI want a cute puppy like this one.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritงั้นลองเข้าไปคุยกับเจ้าของดูครับngan long khao pai khui kap chao khong du khrapThen try going to talk to the owner.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry น่ารัก, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
