เจ้าชาย
jâao-chaai/t͡ɕaːw˥˩.t͡ɕʰaːj˧/
The Thai word for prince is เจ้าชาย (jâao-chaai).
While เจ้าชาย refers to actual royalty, such as a son or male-line grandson of a reigning monarch, it is also frequently used in romantic contexts to refer to a 'prince charming' or a handsome man.
Meaning: son or male-line grandson of a reigning monarch (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of jâao, meaning lord or ruler and chaai, meaning male.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is jâao-chaai. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- Because the Thai language has different levels of formality, there is a specific 'royal language' called ราชาศัพท์ (Ratchasap). In this system, the words for basic body parts or actions change completely when referring to a prince.
- The word เจ้า in เจ้าชาย is also used to refer to the 'guardian spirits' of land or houses. This links the concept of royalty to the supernatural rulers of the spiritual world.
- While เจ้าชาย is the literal term for a prince, a real royal would almost never be addressed by this word in conversation. Instead, their rank is indicated by complex, highly specific titles that dictate exact pronouns and verbs used when speaking to them.
Examples in context
- เจ้าชายกำลังเสด็จกลับประเทศchao-chai kam-lang sa-det klap pra-thetThe prince is returning to his country.
- นิทานเรื่องนี้เกี่ยวกับเจ้าชายni-than rueang ni kiaw-kap chao-chaiThis fairy tale is about a prince.
- เขาเป็นเจ้าชายในตำนานkhao pen chao-chai nai tam-nanHe is a legendary prince.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie they just watched.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanเจ้าชายในหนังดูเท่มากเลยนะchao-chai nai nang du the mak loei naThe prince in the movie looks very cool.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritใช่ เขาดูเหมือนเจ้าชายจริงๆchai khao du muean chao-chai ching-chingYes, he really looks like a prince.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanธนกฤตชอบดูหนังแนวนี้ไหมtha-na-krit chop du nang naeo ni maiThanakit, do you like watching this kind of movie?
- ธนกฤต Thanakritชอบครับ ผมชอบเรื่องราวแบบนี้chop khrap phom chop rueang-rao baep niI do. I like these kinds of stories.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry เจ้าชาย, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
