ผม
phǒmmale speaker, polite
A man says ผม (phǒm) for "I" in Thai. It is polite and works in nearly every situation, and it pairs naturally with the particle ครับ (khráp). It is also called เรา (rao) and กระผม (grà-phǒm).
Meaning: first person singular (pronoun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ผม | phǒm | male speaker, polite |
| เรา | rao | casual, friendly |
| กระผม | grà-phǒm | very formal |
เรา (rao) is friendly and relaxed. It means "we" but is also used for "I" among friends. กระผม (grà-phǒm) is very formal and heard in speeches and ceremonies.
How does it change in a sentence?
Women do not use ผม for themselves. They say ฉัน (chǎn) or ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn).
How do you pronounce it?
ผม (phǒm) has a rising tone, with a breathy "ph" like "p" in "pot".
Did you know?
- The word ผม (phǒm) is spelled and pronounced exactly like the Thai word for "hair".
Examples in context
- ผมชื่อทอมphǒm chʉ̂ʉ TomMy name is Tom.
- ผมไม่เข้าใจครับphǒm mâi khâo-jai khrápI do not understand.
- เราไปกินข้าวกันไหมrao bpai gin khâao gan mǎiShall we go eat?
Example conversation
Tom introduces himself to a colleague on his first day at work in Bangkok.
- Tomสวัสดีครับ ผมชื่อทอมครับsà-wàt-dee khráp, phǒm chʉ̂ʉ Tom khrápHello, my name is Tom.
- Maliยินดีที่ได้รู้จักค่ะyin-dee thîi dâai rúu-jàk khâNice to meet you.
- Tomผมเป็นวิศวกรครับphǒm bpen wít-sà-wa-gɔɔn khrápI am an engineer.
