Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ผม | pǒm | /pʰom˩˩˦/ | masculine |
| ดิฉัน | dì-chǎn | /di˨˩.t͡ɕʰan˩˩˦/ | feminine |
| ฉัน | chǎn | /t͡ɕʰan˩˩˦/ /t͡ɕʰan˦˥/ |
informal |
| กระหม่อม | grà-mɔ̀m | /kra˨˩.mɔm˨˩/ | formal |
| หนู | nǔu | /nuː˩˩˦/ | |
| ข้าพเจ้า | kâa-pá-jâao | /kʰaː˥˩.pʰa˦˥.t͡ɕaːw˥˩/ | formal |
| กู | guu | /kuː˧/ |
Thai uses different words for 'I' to reflect the relationship between the speaker and the listener. While some forms are general, others are specific to gender or the level of politeness required. Note that the word ไอ refers to the name of the letter 'I' rather than the personal pronoun.
Which one should you use?
While ฉัน is a general informal way to say 'I', ผม is the standard polite pronoun used specifically by male speakers. For females, ดิฉัน is a formal option used in professional settings or official speeches, whereas ฉัน remains more casual. For highly formal written contexts like legal documents or official statements, ข้าพเจ้า is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Formality levels vary widely: ข้าพเจ้า and ดิฉัน are formal, while กระหม่อม is also formal. ผม is the standard polite choice for men. ฉัน is informal, and หนู is an informal choice used by children or by females when speaking to elders or people of higher status to sound polite and cute. In contrast, กู is a highly vulgar and aggressive slang term used either among very close friends or when expressing anger.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
chǎn (IPA: /tɕʰan˩˩˦/)
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use ผม if you are female, as it is strictly a masculine pronoun.
When do people say it?
The choice of 'I' in Thai is deeply tied to social hierarchy. For example, a female speaker might use หนู to appear polite and cute when addressing someone of higher status.
Did you know?
- Adult women often use หนู, which literally means 'mouse', to sound polite or endearing when speaking to elders.
- The polite masculine pronoun ผม actually shares its origins with the word for 'head hair'.
- While กู is considered vulgar today, it was a standard pronoun in ancient Thai literature and poetry.
Examples in context
- ฉันแพ้I lost.This sentence is useful for expressing that you lost using ฉัน.Tatoeba #7784291 by pastelite, translation #1755073 by Eldad
- ฉันออกI quit.This sentence is useful for expressing that you quit using ฉัน.Tatoeba #7784299 by pastelite, translation #731636 by Eldad
- ฉันล้มI fell.This sentence is useful for expressing that you fell using ฉัน.Tatoeba #7784316 by pastelite, translation #3824714 by CK
- 1089 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- วิทวัส Witthawatณิชา อยากกินอะไรดีNicha yak kin arai diNicha, what do you want to eat?
- ณิชา Nichaฉันอยากกินก๋วยเตี๋ยวchan yak kin kuaitiaoI want to eat noodles.
- วิทวัส Witthawatร้านนั้นอร่อยมากนะran nan aroi mak naThat shop is very delicious.
- ณิชา Nichaงั้นฉันไปร้านนั้นเลยngan chan pai ran nan loeiThen I will go to that shop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i” translations and entries ผม, ดิฉัน, ฉัน, กระหม่อม, หนู, ข้าพเจ้า, กู, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กระหม่อม, ฉัน, ดิฉัน, ผม, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
