ครู
kruu/kʰruː˧/
The English word teacher in Thai is ครู (kruu). Wiktionary also lists อาจารย์ (aa-jaan).
Meaning: person who teaches (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ครู | kruu | /kʰruː˧/ |
| อาจารย์ | aa-jaan | /ʔaː˧.t͡ɕaːn˧/ |
The term ครู refers to a person who teaches and is used for both male and female teachers.
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean teacher, อาจารย์ is typically used for university-level instructors or highly respected experts, whereas ครู is the general term for school teachers.
How does it change in a sentence?
To increase politeness when referring to a teacher, you can use the form คุณครู by adding คุณ before ครู.
How do you pronounce it?
kruu (IPA: /kʰruː˧/)
When do people say it?
In Thai culture, it is common to use the word for teacher (either ครู or อาจารย์) as a title or honorific when addressing them directly, similar to how one might use 'Professor' or 'Teacher' in English.
Did you know?
- In Thailand, there is a formal ceremony called ไหว้ครู where students pay respect to their teachers with flower bouquets to show gratitude.
- The word ครู shares the same Sanskrit roots as the word 'guru' in English, though it is used as a standard term for a school teacher in Thai.
- Because of the high status of the ครู, it is traditionally considered impolite for a student to stand higher than their teacher during a lesson.
Examples in context
- ฉันคือครูI'm a teacher.This sentence is useful for stating your profession using ครู.Tatoeba #8692113 by pastelite, translation #256929 by CK
- ฉันเป็นครูI was a teacher.This sentence is useful for describing a past profession using ครู.Tatoeba #7878531 by pastelite, translation #432340 by CM
- เธอดูเหมือนครูShe looks like a teacher.This sentence is useful for describing someone's appearance using ครู.Tatoeba #8670368 by pastelite, translation #313257 by CK
- ขอบคุณครูครับ/ค่ะThank you, teacher.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new instructor at their school.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritครูคนใหม่ใจดีไหมkhru khon mai chai di maiIs the new teacher kind?
- พิมล Pimonใจดีมากเลย พิมลชอบมากchai di mak loei phimon chop makVery kind, I like them a lot.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritครูสอนวิชาอะไรครับkhru son wi-cha a-rai khrapWhat subject does the teacher teach?
- พิมล Pimonสอนวิชาภาษาอังกฤษค่ะson wi-cha pha-sa ang-krit khaThey teach English.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teacher” translations and entries ครู, อาจารย์, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ครู, อาจารย์, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
