ขอบคุณ
kɔ̀ɔp-kun/kʰɔːp̚˨˩.kʰun˧/
In Thai, 'thank you' is expressed as ขอบคุณ (kɔ̀ɔp-kun).
ขอบคุณ is an expression of gratitude. To express stronger gratitude, you can say ขอบคุณมาก, which means 'thank you very much'.
Meaning: an expression of gratitude (intj)
Which one should you use?
ขอบคุณ is more formal and respectful than the form ขอบใจ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more informal situations, such as speaking to friends or people of lower status or younger than you, you can use ขอบใจ.
How does it change in a sentence?
To be polite, speakers should add a particle to the end of ขอบคุณ based on their gender: male speakers should add ครับ (kráp) to say ขอบคุณครับ and female speakers should add ค่ะ (kâ) to say ขอบคุณค่ะ. The combination ขอบคุณครับ/ค่ะ is the most common way to say thank you in Thai.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is kɔ̀ɔp-kun.
When do people say it?
In Thai culture, it is common to perform a 'wai' (pressing palms together in a prayer-like gesture) while saying ขอบคุณ to show respect.
Did you know?
- In very close relationships, such as between siblings or lifelong friends, Thai speakers may avoid saying ขอบคุณ entirely as it can feel too formal and create emotional distance.
- There is a specific Thai concept called บุญคุณ (bun-kun) which refers to a lifelong debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid with a simple ขอบคุณ.
- When performing a 'wai' while saying ขอบคุณ, the height of the hands relative to the face indicates the level of respect being shown to the recipient.
Examples in context
- ขอบคุณThank you.This example shows the phrase ขอบคุณ used alone.Tatoeba #499081 by ojiisan, translation #1876041 by Asma
- ขอบคุณที่เข้าใจThank you for understanding.This sentence is useful for seeing ขอบคุณ used to express thanks for understanding.Tatoeba #8692214 by pastelite, translation #2643710 by CK
- ฉันอยากพูดว่าขอบคุณI want to thank you.This sentence shows how to use ขอบคุณ to express a desire to say thank you.Tatoeba #11756038 by superteenkai, translation #2011497 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chonlasit hands a drink to Pimon.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitดื่มน้ำหน่อยครับduem nam noi khrapPlease have some water.
- พิมล Pimonขอบคุณค่ะkhop khun khaThank you.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitไม่เป็นไรครับmai pen rai khrapYou're welcome.
- พิมล Pimonใจดีจังเลยchai di chang loeiYou are so kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries ขอบคุณ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
