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Formal words

Eat (polite) in Thai

The polite way to say “eat” in Thai is ทานtaan, and the formal one is รับประทานráp-bprà-taan; with friends it's กินgin.

ทาน taan

to eat (polite) verb

  • taan mid
  • Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
รับประทาน ráp-bprà-taan

to eat, to take (formal: on medicine labels) verb

  • ráp high
  • bprà low
  • taan 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.

How to use it

ทานtaan is the polite "eat". Staff use it with customers, ทานที่นี่ไหมคะtaan tîi-nîi mǎi ká, eating in?, and it's the nice way to ask your partner's parents ทานข้าวหรือยังtaan kâao rǔue yang, have you eaten? รับประทานráp-bprà-taan is formal: speeches, invitations and medicine labels.

With friends and family, กินgin is normal; both polite words also work for medicine: ทานยาtaan yaa, to take medicine.

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:

  • tan
  • than
  • rap pratan
  • rub pra tan

Read more

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