Child (formal) in Thai

“Child (formal)” in Thai is บุตรbùt.

บุตร bùt

child, son or daughter (formal) noun

bùt low

Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

How to use it

บุตรbùt is the formal word for someone's child: forms ask for the number of children, and official letters and the news use it. The written r at the end is silent, so it's just bùt. In formal Thai a son is บุตรชายbùt chaai and a daughter บุตรสาวbùt sǎao.

In speech it's ลูกlûuk, and any child is เด็กdèk.

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:

boot
bud

More formal words in Thai

All formal words

การ gaan Kaan (prefix)
-ing, -tion: turns a verb into a noun (the act of …)
ความ kwaam Kwaam (prefix)
-ness (turns a verb or adjective into a noun)
ผู้ pûu Phu (prefix)
person (who …): makes words for people, like -er
นัก nák Nak (prefix)
-er, -ist: someone who does it (as a job or a passion)
ซึ่ง sûeng Who, which (formal)
which, who (adds information; formal, written)
เมื่อ mûea When (formal)
when, once (formal)

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