Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| คุย | kui | /kʰuj˧/ |
| พูด | pûut | /pʰuːt̚˥˩/ |
| สนทนา | sǒn-tá-naa | /son˩˩˦.tʰa˦˥.naː˧/ |
| กล่าว | glàao | /klaːw˨˩/ |
In Thai, the choice of word depends on whether you are focusing on the physical act of producing speech, a social interaction or a formal delivery of words. Generally, these words are used to communicate by speech.
Which one should you use?
พูด (pûut) is used when the focus is on the act of producing speech or the specific words being said, similar to 'to speak' or 'to say'. In contrast, คุย (kui) focuses on the social interaction of a two-way conversation or chatting. For more formal or academic contexts, such as a dialogue or a professional discussion, use สนทนา (sǒn-tá-naa). Finally, กล่าว (glàao) is used in formal settings to mean 'to state' a point or 'to deliver' an official speech or remark.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
คุย is considered informal or neutral and is used for chatting. พูด is neutral and focuses on the act of speaking. สนทนา is a formal term suitable for professional, academic or literary contexts. กล่าว is a formal term used when someone is delivering a speech or making an official statement.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using คุย to mean talking to someone, you must use the preposition กับ (gap) to mean 'with' or 'to'.
How do you pronounce it?
kui [kʰuj˧]
Did you know?
- To describe someone who talks too much, Thai uses the expression พูดมาก, but to describe a 'chatterbox' in a more playful way, people use พูดน้ำไหลไฟดับ.
- The formal word สนทนา for 'talk' is derived from the Pali word saṃsandanā, which literally meant a 'comparison of thoughts'.
- When someone is 'talking to themselves', Thai uses the phrase พูดกับตัวเอง, but if they are talking nonsense, they are พูดเพ้อเจ้อ.
Examples in context
- อย่าคุยกับฉันDon't talk to me.This sentence uses คุย to show a command not to talk to someone.Tatoeba #8675800 by pastelite, translation #1860410 by CK
- ทำไมทอมไม่พูด?Why doesn't Tom talk?This sentence uses พูด to ask why someone is not speaking.Tatoeba #8743285 by pastelite, translation #2273960 by CK
- ฉันพยายามคุยกับคุณI was trying to talk to you.This sentence uses คุย to express an attempt to talk to someone.Tatoeba #8670363 by pastelite, translation #2917484 by CK
- คุณรู้จักคำนี้หรือไม่Are you familiar with this word?
- คุณครู ฉันมีคำถามTeacher, I have a question.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are meeting in the office breakroom.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanชลสิทธิ์ เรามาคุยเรื่องงานกันเถอะChonsit, rao ma khui rueang ngan kan thoeChonsit, let's talk about work.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitได้ครับ กนกวรรณ อยากคุยเรื่องอะไรครับdai khrap, Kanokwan yak khui rueang arai khrapSure, Kanokwan. What do you want to talk about?
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanคุยเรื่องโปรเจกต์ใหม่ที่กำลังจะเริ่มค่ะkhui rueang pro-jek mai thi kamlang cha roem khaTalk about the new project that is about to start.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitตกลงครับ ไปคุยกันที่ห้องประชุมเลยtok-long khrap, pai khui kan thi hong prachum loeiAgreed. Let's go talk in the meeting room.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “talk” translations and entries คุย, พูด, สนทนา, กล่าว, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กล่าว, คุย, สนทนา, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
