ขอบคุณ
kɔ̀ɔp-kun/kʰɔːp̚˨˩.kʰun˧/
In Thai, thank you is expressed as ขอบคุณ (kɔ̀ɔp-kun).
The phrase is used to express gratitude to others.
Meaning: an expression of gratitude (intj)
Which one should you use?
For even more emphasis in a casual setting, you can use ขอบคุณมากๆ to express extra gratitude.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ขอบใจ is an informal version used to say 'thanks' to friends, children or people of lower status. ขอบคุณ is the standard way to express gratitude. To be polite and standard, male speakers should use ขอบคุณครับ and female speakers should use ขอบคุณค่ะ. For a more emphatic, polite way to say 'thank you very much', use ขอบคุณมาก.
How does it change in a sentence?
Thai speakers often add particles to the end of ขอบคุณ to indicate their gender and politeness.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is kɔ̀ɔp-kun.
When do people say it?
When saying ขอบคุณ, it is common practice to perform a 'wai' by pressing your palms together near your chest or face to show respect.
Did you know?
- Thai has a specific concept of 'Boon-Khun', a lifelong debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid with a simple ขอบคุณ, often involving deep family or teacher-student bonds.
- When performing a wai while saying ขอบคุณ, the height of the hands relative to the face indicates the level of respect being given to the other person.
- The word คุณ in ขอบคุณ originally referred to a 'virtue' or 'favor', meaning the phrase is more about recognizing a debt of kindness than just a social greeting.
Examples in context
- ขอบคุณThank you.This example shows the basic form of ขอบคุณ.Tatoeba #499081 by ojiisan, translation #1876041 by Asma
- ขอบคุณที่เข้าใจThank you for understanding.This example shows how to use ขอบคุณ to thank someone for their understanding.Tatoeba #8692214 by pastelite, translation #2643710 by CK
- ฉันอยากพูดว่าขอบคุณI want to thank you.This example shows the use of ขอบคุณ within a full sentence.Tatoeba #11756038 by superteenkai, translation #2011497 by CK
- คุณสนับสนุนทีมงานได้ดีมาก ขอบคุณครับ / ขอบคุณค่ะYou've supported the team's work exceptionally well. Thank you!
- ขอบคุณมากที่คุณช่วยเหลือThank you so much for your help.
- ขอบใจสำหรับของขวัญThank you for the gift.
- ขอบคุณมากๆ ที่ช่วยกันThank you very much for helping.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man gives a woman a cup of coffee at the office.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritสิรินทร์ครับ กาแฟครับSi-rin khrap, ka-fae khrapSirin, here is your coffee.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinขอบคุณมากค่ะ ธนกฤตkhop khun mak kha, Tha-na-kritThank you very much, Thanakrit.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritไม่เป็นไรครับmai pen rai khrapYou're welcome.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinคุณใจดีจังเลยค่ะkhun chai di chang loei khaYou are so kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries ขอบคุณ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ขอบคุณ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
