ผม
pǒm/pʰom˩˩˦/
The Thai word for 'hair' is ผม (pǒm).
ผม refers specifically to the mass of filaments found on the human head. It is a homonym, meaning it also serves as the first-person singular pronoun 'I' when used by male speakers.
Meaning: mass of such filaments on the human head (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ผม is used for hair on the human head, the word ขน is used for hair on the rest of the body or for animal fur.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is pǒm. The IPA is /pʰom˩˩˦/.
Did you know?
- In Thai culture, the head is considered the most sacred part of the body, which makes the distinction between the 'noble' hair ผม and 'common' body hair ขน culturally significant.
- Thai distinguishes strictly between head hair ผม and body hair ขน. Using ขน to describe the hair on someone's head would be perceived as describing them as an animal.
- Because ผม is both the word for 'hair' and the male pronoun for 'I', a man can jokingly refer to himself as 'hair' in certain playful contexts.
Examples in context
- ทอมตัดผมของแมรี่Tom cut Mary's hair.This sentence demonstrates the use of ผม to refer to hair.Tatoeba #8719755 by pastelite, translation #1094995 by CK
- ผมอยากย้อมผมสีดำI want to dye my hair black.This sentence shows ผม being used both as the pronoun 'I' and to refer to hair.Tatoeba #10321884 by Somsak, translation #6264545 by CK
- ผมของฉันยาวเกินไปMy hair is too long.This sentence shows how to describe the length of ผม.Tatoeba #8671152 by pastelite, translation #2219752 by Hybrid
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new haircut.
- ธนกฤต ThanakritกนกวรรณตัดผมมาเหรอKanokwan tat phom ma roDid you get a haircut, Kanokwan?
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanใช่ค่ะ ฉันอยากเปลี่ยนทรงผมchai kha chan yak plian song phomYes, I wanted to change my hairstyle.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritผมทรงนี้ดูดีมากเลยphom song ni du di mak loeiThis hair style looks very good.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanขอบคุณมากค่ะ ธนกฤตkhop khun mak kha ThanakritThank you very much, Thanakrit.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ผม, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
