น้ำ
náam/naːm˦˥/
The English word water is น้ำ (náam) in Thai. Wiktionary also lists ชล (chon).
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| น้ำ | náam | /naːm˦˥/ /naːm˦˥./ |
| ชล | chon | /t͡ɕʰon˧/ /t͡ɕʰon˧.la˦˥./ |
น้ำ refers to the inorganic compound H₂O. Beyond its literal meaning, it can be used as a prefix to many other words to indicate a liquid state or a substance that is liquid-based.
Which one should you use?
น้ำ is the standard, everyday word for water used in conversation, whereas ชล is a formal or literary term often found in names or poetic contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The related verb รด is used specifically to mean pouring water into the soil surrounding plants.
How do you pronounce it?
náam
Did you know?
- In Thai, น้ำ is used in the term น้ำใจ, which literally means 'water of the heart' but actually refers to kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness.
- Thai uses น้ำ to describe the 'flow' or 'tone' of a voice, using the term น้ำเสียง to refer to the quality of a person's speech.
- The formal term ชล is actually a loanword from Pali, a classical language of India, rather than being native to the Tai language family.
Examples in context
- น้ำเย็นThe water was cold.This sentence is useful for describing the temperature of น้ำ.Tatoeba #8717343 by pastelite, translation #1984002 by Spamster
- ไม่มีน้ำThere is no water.This sentence is useful for expressing the absence of น้ำ.Tatoeba #8720101 by pastelite, translation #270745 by CK
- รดน้ำต้นไม้Water the plants.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of น้ำ with the verb to water plants.Tatoeba #8692327 by pastelite, translation #268565 by CK
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nicha and Thanakrit are at a restaurant.
- ณิชา Nichaขอน้ำเปล่าหนึ่งขวดค่ะkho nam plao nueng khuat khaI would like a bottle of water, please.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritได้ครับ รอสักครู่นะครับdai khrap ro sak khru na khrapCertainly, please wait a moment.
- ณิชา Nichaขอบคุณค่ะ ขอแบบไม่ใส่น้ำแข็งนะคะkhob khun kha kho baep mai sai nam khaeng na khaThank you, I'd like it without ice.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritนี่คือน้ำเปล่าครับni khue nam plao khrapHere is your water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries น้ำ, ชล, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ชล, น้ำ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
