เธอ
təə/tʰɤː˧/
The English phrase 'her' is translated into Thai as เธอ (təə).
เธอ is a pronoun used to refer to a female person who has already been mentioned. In addition to meaning 'her', it is also commonly used as a second-person pronoun meaning 'you' in intimate or informal settings.
Which one should you use?
While เธอ is specifically feminine in many contexts, the word เขา (kǎo) is often used as a gender-neutral third-person pronoun meaning either 'he' or 'she'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'her' in a possessive sense, such as 'her book', you must add the word ของ (kɔ̌ɔng) before เธอ to form ของเธอ.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is təə.
Did you know?
- The word เธอ has a surprising royal history, as it is derived from an ancient third-person pronoun once used specifically to refer to a monarch.
- To say 'her' in a way that sounds natural in a respectful conversation, Thais often skip the pronoun เธอ entirely and use the person's name or nickname instead.
- Using เธอ to address a stranger or a social superior can be perceived as condescending or rude, as it implies a level of familiarity that does not exist.
Examples in context
- เขากอดเธอHe hugged her.Tatoeba #8718066 by pastelite, translation #317629 by CK
- ทอมเห็นเธอTom saw her.Tatoeba #8714343 by pastelite, translation #2237651 by CK
- ฉันรู้จักเธอI know her.Tatoeba #8675731 by pastelite, translation #424848 by CM
- เขาชอบแฟนเธอ (khǎo châwp faen thoo)He likes her girlfriend.
- เธอเป็นคนที่มีค่า (thoo pen khon tîi mii kha)She is a valuable person.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a female colleague at work.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanเธอทำงานเก่งมากthoe tham ngan keng makShe works very well.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitใช่ ฉันเห็นเธอทำโปรเจกต์นั้นchai chan hen thoe tham pro-chek nanYes, I saw her doing that project.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanเธอเป็นคนขยันthoe pen khon kha-yanShe is a hardworking person.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitผมก็คิดแบบนั้นphom ko khit baep nanI think so too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry เธอ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries เธอ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
