ฉัน
chǎnfemale speaker, neutral
A woman most often says ฉัน (chǎn) for "I" in Thai. The formal version is ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn), and girls or young women often call themselves หนู (nǔu) when speaking to elders.
Meaning: first person singular (pronoun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ฉัน | chǎn | female speaker, neutral |
| ดิฉัน | dì-chǎn | female speaker, formal |
| หนู | nǔu | girl or young woman, to elders |
ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn) is used in formal talk, news, interviews and work situations. ฉัน (chǎn) fits everyday speech with people of similar age.
Which one should you use?
หนู (nǔu) literally means "mouse". It is a cute, humble way for a young person to say "I" to a teacher or older relative.
How does it change in a sentence?
Thai often leaves out the pronoun when the context is clear, so many sentences have no word for "I" at all.
Did you know?
- Thai has many words for "I", and the choice shows age, gender and politeness at once.
Examples in context
- ฉันชื่อมาลีchǎn chʉ̂ʉ maa-liiMy name is Mali.
- ดิฉันเป็นครูค่ะdì-chǎn bpen khruu khâI am a teacher.
- หนูไม่เข้าใจค่ะnǔu mâi khâo-jai khâI do not understand.
Example conversation
Mali introduces herself to a new neighbor in Bangkok.
- Maliสวัสดีค่ะ ฉันชื่อมาลีค่ะsà-wàt-dee khâ, chǎn chʉ̂ʉ maa-lii khâHello, my name is Mali.
- เพื่อนบ้านยินดีที่ได้รู้จักครับyin-dee thîi dâai rúu-jàk khrápNice to meet you.
- Maliฉันอยู่ห้องข้างๆ ค่ะchǎn yùu hɔ̂ng khâang-khâang khâI live in the next room.
