ผู้ชาย
pûu-chaai/pʰuː˥˩.t͡ɕʰaːj˧/
The Thai word for man is ผู้ชาย (pûu-chaai). Wiktionary also lists ชาย (chaai).
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ผู้ชาย | pûu-chaai | /pʰuː˥˩.t͡ɕʰaːj˧/ |
| ชาย | chaai | /t͡ɕʰaːj˧/ |
The term refers to an adult male human. While ผู้ชาย is the standard term for a man, you may encounter the phrase ลูกผู้ชาย, which literally means 'son of a man' and is used to describe a man's character, specifically regarding his bravery, honor or masculinity.
What does it mean word for word?
The word ผู้ชาย is composed of ผู้, meaning person or one who and ชาย, meaning male.
Which one should you use?
ผู้ชาย is the standard, common way to say 'man' in most contexts. In contrast, ชาย is a more formal or literary version of the word often used in official documents, descriptions or literature.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pʰuː˥˩.tɕʰaːj˧/ (pûu-chaai).
Did you know?
- While ผู้ชาย identifies gender, Thai speakers often use kinship terms like 'brother' or 'uncle' instead of the word for 'man' when addressing strangers.
- The word ชาย has a double life, meaning both 'male' and 'eaves' or 'edge'.
- The prefix ผู้ used in ผู้ชาย is a versatile classifier that can turn almost any action or characteristic into a person, such as 'the one who'.
Examples in context
- ฉันเป็นผู้ชายI am a man.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of ผู้ชาย to state one's identity.Tatoeba #7765798 by JipThaiTeacher, translation #386704 by Mouseneb
- ทอมเป็นชายร่างสูงTom is a tall man.This sentence shows how ชาย is used in descriptive contexts.Tatoeba #8743278 by pastelite, translation #3442424 by CK
- เป็นลูกผู้ชายหน่อยBe a man.This sentence demonstrates the use of ผู้ชาย when referring to a man's character.Tatoeba #7765769 by JipThaiTeacher, translation #2221008 by Hybrid
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pimon and Witthawat are looking for a specific person in a crowd.
- พิมล Pimonผู้ชายคนนั้นคือใครคะphu chai khon nan khue khrai khaWho is that man?
- วิทวัส Witthawatเขาเป็นเพื่อนของผมครับkhao pen phuean khong phom krapHe is my friend.
- พิมล Pimonผู้ชายคนนั้นดูใจดีจังเลยphu chai khon nan du chai di jang loeiThat man looks very kind.
- วิทวัส Witthawatใช่ครับ เขาใจดีมากchai krap khao chai di makYes, he is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries ผู้ชาย, ชาย, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ชาย, ผู้ชาย, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
