Actor in Thai

“Actor” in Thai is นักแสดงnák-sà-daeng; you'll also hear ดาราdaa-raa (star).

นักแสดง nák-sà-daeng

actor, actress noun

nák high
sà low
daeng mid

High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

Classifier: คนkon · person, people

Parts: นักnák one who does แสดงsà-daeng to perform, to show

ดารา daa-raa

star, celebrity noun

daa mid
raa mid

Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

How to use it

นักแสดงnák-sà-daeng is "one who performs", for men and women alike. A famous actor or TV personality is a ดาราdaa-raa, a star. Thai TV dramas, ละครlá-kawn, make huge stars, and they're a fun way to learn: see learning Thai with dramas.

Other spellings you'll see

There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:

daara
dara

More people in Thai

All people

ผู้หญิง pûu-yǐng Woman
ผู้ชาย pûu-chaai Man
คุณผู้หญิง kun pûu-yǐng Lady
madam, the lady (polite: how staff address a woman)
ฝรั่ง fà-ràng Farang
Westerner, a white foreigner
คนต่างชาติ kon dtàang-châat Foreigner
foreigner, foreign people
คน kon Person
person, people

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones