Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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˧/ | |
| ผม | pǒm | /pʰom˩˩˦/ | masculine |
| ดิฉัน | dì-chǎn | /di˨˩.t͡ɕʰan˩˩˦/ | feminine |
The word for 'I' in Thai changes significantly based on the social context and the gender of the speaker. While many forms exist, they range from extremely formal or royal registers to highly informal slang.
Which one should you use?
For male speakers, ผม is the standard polite pronoun for most social situations. In contrast, ฉัน is a common way to say 'I' that is often perceived as more feminine or is used frequently in songs and literature. For children or females wanting to sound polite or cute to elders and superiors, หนู is commonly used. If you are speaking to a member of the royal family, the royal register pronoun กระหม่อม is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality varies widely across the available forms. ข้าพเจ้า is a highly formal version used in official documents, speeches or formal writing. ดิฉัน is a formal, though now archaic, feminine pronoun. ผม is the formal pronoun typically used by adult males in formal situations. ฉัน is an informal pronoun, while หนู provides a polite, cute tone for children or females. Finally, กู is a slang term that is highly informal and potentially offensive. It should only be used among very close friends or when expressing anger.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for ฉัน is chǎn.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- ฉันแพ้I lost.This sentence is useful for saying that you lost using ฉัน.Tatoeba #7784291 by pastelite, translation #1755073 by Eldad
- ฉันออกI quit.This sentence is useful for saying that you quit using ฉัน.Tatoeba #7784299 by pastelite, translation #731636 by Eldad
- ฉันล้มI fell.This sentence is useful for saying that you fell using ฉัน.Tatoeba #7784316 by pastelite, translation #3824714 by CK
- 1089 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman and a man are talking about their favorite food in a cafe.
- ณิชา Nichaฉันชอบกินส้มตำมากเลยchan chop kin som tam mak loeiI really like eating papaya salad.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatจริงเหรอครับ ผมก็ชอบเหมือนกันching ro khrap, phom ko chop muean kanReally? I like it too.
- ณิชา Nichaแล้วคุณชอบกินเผ็ดไหมlaeo khun chop kin phet maiAnd do you like eating spicy food?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatผมกินเผ็ดได้ครับphom kin phet dai khrapI can eat spicy food.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I” translations and entries ฉัน, กระหม่อม, หนู, ข้าพเจ้า, กู, ผม, ดิฉัน, 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.
