Culture and festivalsFate in Thai
“Fate” in Thai is โชคชะตาchôok-chá-dtaa; you'll also hear ชะตาchá-dtaa (one's lot) and พรหมลิขิตprom-lí-kìt (destiny in love).
fate, destiny noun
- chôok falling
- chá high
- dtaa mid
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
fate (one's lot in life) noun
- chá high
- dtaa mid
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Also โชคชะตาchôok-chá-dtaa, fate, destiny.
destiny, what is meant to be (above all in love) noun
- prom mid
- lí high
- kìt low
- 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.
You'll hear โชคชะตาchôok-chá-dtaa in Kan Goo (คั่นกู).
How to use it
โชคชะตาchôok-chá-dtaa, "luck and lot", is fate or destiny: whatever life has in store. ชะตาchá-dtaa alone means the same, a little more literary, as in ชะตาชีวิตchá-dtaa chii-wít, your fate in life. Fate isn't luck: luck is โชคchôok, and good luck โชคดีchôok-dii.
When two people seem made for each other, Thais call it พรหมลิขิตprom-lí-kìt, "written by Brahma". Many have their fortune read, ดูดวงduu-duang, before a big decision.
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:
- chok chata
- chokchata
- chata
- cha ta
- phrom likhit
Read more
- Song Skyline (กีดกัน) The theme of I Told Sunset About You (2020), the Phuket coming-of-age story that made Billkin a star. An epic, old-fashioned love song in the style of Chinese martial-arts films: the sky, the mountains and time can't keep two lovers apart, but fate might. Its lines teach the poetic Thai of songs and novels: even though, true love, why, gladly, give up, ending, and the difference between two words that look almost the same.
- Song Kan Goo (คั่นกู) The ending theme of 2gether (2020), the college romance between Sarawat and Tine that made Bright and Win famous far beyond Thailand, sung by Bright himself as his first single. A bouncy love song about a coincidence that's no coincidence and not letting anyone come between you. Its title is a famous piece of Thai wordplay, and its lines teach whether, or, fate, should, wherever and the direction words come in and go in.
More culture and festivals in Thai
All culture and festivals- เพลงชาติ pleeng-châat National anthem in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones