นั่ง
nâng/naŋ˥˩/
The Thai verb for 'sit' is นั่ง (nâng).
นั่ง describes a person being in a position where the upper body is upright and the legs are supported. If you want to specifically express the command or the action of 'sitting down' rather than just the state of sitting, you can add the particle ลง after the verb to form นั่งลง.
Meaning: of a person, be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs are supported (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is nâng. The IPA is /naŋ˥˩/.
Did you know?
- In Thailand, sitting with your feet pointing toward another person, a Buddha image or the monarchy is considered deeply offensive. This is because the feet are viewed as the lowest and dirtiest part of the body.
- The word นั่ง is used in the compound นั่งรถ, which literally means 'sit in a vehicle', but it is how Thais say they are 'riding' or 'taking' a car or bus.
- While นั่ง is the standard verb, in very formal or royal contexts, one might use the word ประทับ to describe a high-ranking person sitting.
Examples in context
- มานั่งกับเราสิCome sit with us.This sentence is useful for inviting someone to use the form นั่ง.Tatoeba #10365948 by Somsak, translation #484151 by minshirui
- ผมกำลังหาที่นั่งI'm looking for a place to sit.This sentence is useful for using the form นั่ง to describe looking for a place.Tatoeba #10531545 by Somsak, translation #5004164 by CK
- ฉันอยากนั่งตรงกลางI want to sit in the middle.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to use the form นั่ง in a specific location.Tatoeba #8817612 by pastelite, translation #2831798 by kevinhsu
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Teerapat and Nicha are at a cafe.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatณิชา นั่งตรงนี้สิNicha nang trong ni siNicha, sit here.
- ณิชา Nichaขอบคุณค่ะ ธีรภัทรKhop khun kha, TeeraphatThank you, Teerapat.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatคุณอยากนั่งใกล้หน้าต่างไหมKhun yak nang klai na tang maiDo you want to sit near the window?
- ณิชา Nichaได้ค่ะ ตรงนี้ก็ดีDai kha, trong ni ko diOkay, this spot is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit” translations and entries นั่ง, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
