than ดิฉัน [dìh-chǔn].
• จาก เค้าเหรอ ชั้น ไม่ เคย ได้ อะไร ซักนิดเลย
jàhk káo reř chún mâi keri dâi ’à-rai súk níht leri
From him? I ’ve never gotten anything at all.
• มา อ่านบล็อก เดี๊ยน บ่อยๆ แล้วจะ รู้ ว่ามี อะไร อีกมี แต่ สนุก ๆ ค่ะ
mah ’àhn blàwk DÍAN bòi-bòi láeo jà róo wâh mee ’à-rai ’èek mee dtàe sà-nòok-sà-nòok kâ
If you read my blog often you’ll know what I ’ve been up to—all I do is have fun!
The standard third person is เค้า [káo] which is just a different spelling to reflect its true pronunciation. Learn Thai from a teacher and they will tell you to spell it and pronounce it as เขา [kǎo] even though on the street it’s pronounced as เค้า [káo]. This can be he, she or they. See below:
• เค้า ไม่ ได้ รู้ อะไร เลย
KÁO mâi dâi róo ’à-rai leri
She doesn’t know anything at all.
• เค้า หล่อมาก เนอะ
KÁO làw mâhk nér
He ’s really handsome, no?
To be a bit more poetic and get that feeling of my dear or honey try using เธอ [ter]. You’ll hear this a lot in love songs. However, it can be used for either guys or girls (though mostly to refer to women), by teachers who often refer to their students เธอ [ter] in either the second or third person.
• ชั้น รัก เธอ
chún rúk TER
I love you.
• พวก เธอ มี ปัญหาอะไร ก็ มา ปรึกษาพี่ ก็ ได้ นะ
pûak-TER mee bpun-hǎh ’à-rai gâw mah bprúek-sǎh pêe gâw dâi ná
You guys have any problem at all, just come and see me.
Sometimes to be cute or show innocence, a younger girl or maybe a girlfriend will refer to themselves in the first person as mouse: หนู [nǒo].
• หนู ขอ ใช้ อันนี้ หน่อยได้ มั้ย ฮะ
NǑO kǎw chái ’un-née nòi dâi mái há
May I please use this one?
Like many of the counties surrounding Thailand, the centrality of family in Thai society is reflected in the language. No matter how distant your relationship is with another person, it’s very normal to refer to oneself or another as big brother/sister or little brother/sister in almost any situation. พี่ [pêe] means older and น้อง [náwng] means younger. These terms will often be used at work, school or even just at a restaurant when placing an order. This concept of พี่น้อง [pêe náwng] also reinforces hierarchy in traditional Thai society in that the younger (the น้อง [náwng]) should always show some level of deference to the older (the พี่ [pêe])—no matter how much of a jackass the older may be. Depending on the context, พี่ [pêe] and น้อง [náwng] can be used in either the first, second or third person.
• พี่ี่ จะ กลับบ้านแล้วเหรอ
PÊE jà glùp bâhn láeo rǎw
You ’re gonna go home already?
• น้องๆ เก็บตังค์ นะ ครับ
NÁWNG NÁWNG gèhp dtung ná krúp
Check please!
A newer adaptation for I, you and she in Thai comes directly from English— อัย [’ai], ยู [yoo] and ชี [chee]. Since all three are just a play on English words not everyone will understand you when you use them, nor will it have the same effect as when a Thai uses them. A Thai would probably just think you don’t speak Thai very well. But either way it’s good to be aware that they’re being used more frequently these days.
• ยูู ไป ไหน เนี่ย
YOO bpai nǎi nîa
Where you goin’?
If pulling out the class card is your game give ข้า [kâh] and เอ็ง [’ehng] a try, meaning I and you. These two have the feeling of I’m above you, I’m your master, or you’re my bitch-ass little slave. The only time I ever used one of these was when I was getting off a bus in Udorn Thai in the Northeast of Thailand. As usual a swarm of decrepit individuals calling themselves Tuk-tuk drivers had surrounded the passengers trying to exit the bus. After maybe the tenth time of trying to politely refuse their service I finally ended up snapping at the next Tuk-tuk driver to touch me by yelling out, “ อย่าถูกข้า!!” [yàhk róo jung] Basically, this translates as, “Don’t you dare touch me, you little insignificant nothing!” I was lucky I didn’t get punched.
• อย่าถูก ข้า
yàh took KÂH
Don’t you dare touch me!
If you want to be a little rougher or distance yourself from the person whom you are talking about try using แก [gae]. To be even harsher refer to someone in the third person as it in Thai: มัน [mun]. Using the word it to refer to someone can start trouble. Both แก [gae] and มัน [mun] can also be used to mean you, but watch out cause these then become fightin’ words!
• แก ทำ ตัวแบบ นั้น ตลอด
GAE tam dtua bàep nún dtà-làwt
He always acts like that.
• ไอ้ มัน พูดปากหมา
’âi-MUN pôot bpàhk mǎh
That jerk talks like a f—kin’ dog!
If you really want to get nasty, nothing does the trick or gets straight to the point like using กู [goo] or มึง
