ชีวิต
chii-wít/t͡ɕʰiː˧.wit̚˦˥/
The English word life is translated into Thai as ชีวิต (chii-wít).
ชีวิต is a noun that refers to the state of being alive. You may encounter related forms such as สิ่งมีชีวิต to mean living beings or creatures, or the expression เรื่องชีวิต to refer to life matters or life stories. Additionally, the phrase ใช้ชีวิต is commonly used to describe the way someone lives or spends their time and life.
Meaning: the state of being alive (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'the way of living' or 'lifestyle' as a noun, you can add the prefix การ to the phrase ใช้ชีวิต, resulting in การใช้ชีวิต.
How do you pronounce it?
ชีวิต is pronounced as chii-wít. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- While ชีวิต means 'life', Thai speakers often use the word ลมหายใจ meaning 'breath' to poetically refer to the essence of being alive or a life partner.
- In Thai culture, the word ชีวิต is often linked to the concept of 'merit' and 'karma', where one's current life is seen as a result of actions from previous lives.
- The word ชีวิต is not a native Thai word but a borrowed term from ancient Pali and Sanskrit, making it a sibling to words in Lao and Khmer.
Examples in context
- ชีวิตช่างสวยงามLife is beautiful.This sentence demonstrates the use of ชีวิต to express how life can be beautiful.Tatoeba #7878796 by pastelite, translation #1829 by CK
- ฉันใช้ชีวิตเรียบง่ายI live a simple life.This sentence shows how to use ชีวิต when describing a simple way of living.Tatoeba #8743294 by pastelite, translation #2377650 by CK
- ผมเล่นกีฬามาทั้งชีวิตI've played sports all my life.This sentence uses ชีวิต to indicate a duration spanning one's entire life.Tatoeba #10130371 by Somsak, translation #2360210 by CK
- ผมรักชีวิตI love life
- สิ่งมีชีวิตทั้งหมดควรได้รับเกียรติAll living beings deserve respect
- ชีวิตยากLife is tough
- มาคุยเรื่องชีวิตกันเถอะLet's talk about life
- ความหมายของชีวิตแตกต่างกันสำหรับทุกคนThe meaning of life is different for everyone.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their future plans at a cafe.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanคุณอยากเปลี่ยนชีวิตบ้างไหมkhun yak plian chi-wit bang maiDo you want to change your life at all?
- ธนกฤต Thanakritผมอยากเริ่มต้นชีวิตใหม่ครับphom yak roem ton chi-wit mai khrapI want to start a new life.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanชีวิตใหม่ที่ว่าคืออะไรchi-wit mai thi wa khue araiWhat is this new life you're talking about?
- ธนกฤต Thanakritการย้ายไปอยู่ต่างประเทศครับkan yai pai yu tang pra-thet khrapMoving to live abroad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “life” translations and entries ชีวิต, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ชีวิต, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
