วาฬ
waan/waːn˧/
The Thai word for whale is วาฬ (waan). Wiktionary also lists ปลาวาฬ (bplaa-waan).
Meaning: large sea mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| วาฬ | waan | /waːn˧/ /waː˧.la˦˥./ |
| ปลาวาฬ | bplaa-waan | /plaː˧.waːn˧/ |
Both terms are used to refer to the large sea mammal. While one is more precise, the other is very common in daily conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The colloquial form ปลาวาฬ is a compound of ปลา, meaning fish and วาฬ, meaning whale.
Which one should you use?
วาฬ is the scientifically accurate term for a whale. In contrast, ปลาวาฬ is a common colloquialism used in everyday speech.
How do you pronounce it?
waan
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may assume that ปลาวาฬ is an error because it literally translates to 'fish whale', but it is a widely accepted and common way to refer to whales in everyday Thai.
Did you know?
- The word วาฬ has a linguistic 'identity crisis' because it can be traced back to two completely different origins: one from the Pali word for 'savage' and another from the Dutch word 'walvis'.
- If you use the word วาฬ in a strictly scientific context, you are being precise, but using it in a casual setting might actually sound more formal or stiff than intended.
Examples in context
- ฉันอยากเห็นวาฬในทะเล.chan yak hen wan nai thale.I want to see a whale in the sea.
- วาฬตัวนี้มีขนาดใหญ่มาก.wan tua ni mi khanat yai mak.This whale is very large.
- เราเห็นวาฬว่ายน้ำอยู่ตรงนั้น.rao hen wan wai nam yu trong nan.We saw a whale swimming over there.
Example conversation
Two people are watching a nature documentary on television.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitดูวาฬตัวนั้นสิ!du wan tua nan si!Look at that whale!
- สิรินทร์ Sirinโห ตัวใหญ่จริงๆ ด้วย.ho, tua yai ching ching duai.Whoa, it really is huge.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitมันกำลังว่ายน้ำไปทางทิศเหนือ.man kamlang wai nam pai thang thit nuea.It is swimming towards the north.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinน่าตื่นเต้นมากเลยค่ะ.na tuean khen mak loei kha.It is very exciting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whale” translations and entries วาฬ, ปลาวาฬ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ปลาวาฬ, วาฬ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
