ตัวเอง
dtua-eeng
The Thai word for 'myself' is ตัวเอง (dtua-eeng).
ตัวเอง is a reflexive pronoun used to mean myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself or themselves. Unlike English, ตัวเอง is gender-neutral and person-neutral. Its specific meaning is determined entirely by the context of the sentence.
Meaning: me, reflexive form of me (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of ตัว (dtua), meaning 'body' or 'self' and เอง (eeng), meaning 'by oneself'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While ตัวเอง is common, using ตัวเอง to refer to oneself in very formal or polite speech is often replaced by more specific pronouns or formal reflexive structures.
How do you pronounce it?
dtua-eeng
Did you know?
- In a romantic context, a Thai speaker might use ตัวเอง as a cute nickname for a partner instead of using it as a reflexive pronoun.
- The word ตัว in ตัวเอง is the same classifier used for counting animals and shirts.
- The particle เอง is often used in Thai to add emphasis to a statement, similar to saying 'it was actually' or 'it was indeed' in English.
Examples in context
- ผมดูแลตัวเองได้I can take care of myself.This sentence shows how to use ตัวเอง to mean 'myself' in the context of taking care of oneself.Tatoeba #10531571 by Somsak, translation #1871856 by Spamster
- ฉันหวังว่าฉันสามารถทำมันได้ด้วยตัวเองI wish that I could do that myself.This sentence demonstrates the use of ตัวเอง to express doing something by oneself.Tatoeba #8668977 by pastelite, translation #8658187 by CK
- ฉันต้องดูแลตัวเองให้ดีchan tong du-lae tua-eng hai deeI must take care of myself well.
Example conversation
A friend is expressing concern about her health to her friend.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatช่วงนี้คุณดูเหนื่อยๆ นะchuang nee khun doo nueay nueay naYou look a bit tired lately.
- ณิชา Nichaใช่ค่ะ ฉันต้องพักผ่อนและดูแลตัวเองบ้างchai kha chan tong phak phon lae du-lae tua-eng bangYes, I need to rest and take care of myself.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatอย่าหักโหมงานหนักเกินไปนะครับya hak hom ngan nak koen pai na khrapDon't overwork yourself too much.
- ณิชา Nichaขอบคุณที่เป็นห่วงนะคะkhop khun thi pen huang na khaThank you for your concern.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
