Head (formal) in Thai

“Head (formal)” in Thai is ศีรษะsǐi-sà.

ศีรษะ sǐi-sà

head (formal, polite) noun

sǐi rising
sà low

Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

How to use it

ศีรษะsǐi-sà is the formal, polite word for the head: on signs, medicine labels and in polite talk at a hospital or a barber's. In conversation the head is หัวhǔa: ปวดหัวbpùat hǔa, I've got a headache.

For Thais the head is the highest part of the body, so don't touch someone's head, even in fun, and don't reach over it.

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:

sisa
see sa
srisa
sisah

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