หมาป่า
mǎa-bpàa/maː˩˩˦.paː˨˩/
The English word 'wolf' is translated into Thai as หมาป่า (mǎa-bpàa). Wiktionary also lists สุนัขป่า (sù-nák-bpàa).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| หมาป่า | mǎa-bpàa | /maː˩˩˦.paː˨˩/ |
| สุนัขป่า | sù-nák-bpàa | /su˨˩.nak̚˦˥.paː˨˩/ |
In Thai, both หมาป่า and สุนัขป่า are used to refer to the animal known as a wolf.
What does it mean word for word?
The common form หมาป่า is a compound of หมา, meaning dog and ป่า, meaning forest.
Which one should you use?
While หมาป่า is the standard term, the word หมา by itself refers only to a domestic dog. The form สุนัขป่า is a more technical way to say wolf.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is mǎa-bpàa. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While สุนัขป่า is the formal term for wolf, the word สุนัข is derived from Pali and Sanskrit, reflecting the influence of Indian languages on Thai formal vocabulary.
- In Thai media, a character described as having a หมาป่า spirit might be seen as someone who is a lonely or predatory wanderer.
- The term หมาป่า is used in Thai translations of Western fairytales like 'Little Red Riding Hood', though wolves are not native to the Thai landscape.
Examples in context
- ฉันเคยเห็นหมาป่าในสารคดีchan khoei hen ma-pa nai sa-ra-kha-diI once saw a wolf in a documentary.
- หมาป่าตัวนี้มีขนสีเทาma-pa tua ni mi khon si thaoThis wolf has grey fur.
- เสียงหมาป่าร้องดังมากsiang ma-pa rong dang makThe sound of the wolf howling is very loud.
Example conversation
Nicha and Chonsit are looking at a picture book together.
- ณิชา Nichaสัตว์ตัวนี้คือหมาป่าใช่ไหมคะsat tua ni khue ma-pa chai mai khaIs this animal a wolf?
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitใช่ครับ มันคือหมาป่าchai khrap man khue ma-paYes, it is a wolf.
- ณิชา Nichaมันดูน่ากลัวจังเลยค่ะman du na klua chang loei khaIt looks very scary.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitแต่มันก็สวยมากนะครับtae man ko suay mak na khrapBut it is also very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wolf” translations and entries หมาป่า, สุนัขป่า, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
