People เด็กผู้ชาย dèk-pûu-chaai
boy (a child) noun
- dèk low
- pûu falling
- chaai mid
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
Classifier: คนkon · person, people
หนุ่ม nùm
young man noun
- nùm low
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
How to use it
A boy, the child, is เด็กผู้ชายdèk-pûu-chaai, "child man", and a young man is หนุ่มnùm: a young, handsome man is หนุ่มหล่อnùm làw. Your son is ลูกชายlûuk-chaai.
To call a boy or a young man over, say น้องnáwng; an older man is พี่pîi or ลุงlung.
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:
- dek phu chai
- dek pu chai
- dekpuchai
- noom
More people in Thai
All people
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones