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Formal words

นัก (nak) in Thai: the prefix for -er and -ist

นักnák makes a word for someone who does something as a job, a hobby or a passion, like English “-er” or “-ist”: นักร้องnák-ráwng, a singer.

นัก nák

-er, -ist: someone who does it (as a job or a passion); (in writing) very, much noun prefix

  • nák high
  • High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.

How to use it

นักnák goes in front of a verb or a noun: นักเรียนnák-rian (student, "study person"), นักร้องnák-ráwng (singer), นักท่องเที่ยวnák-tâwng-tîaw (tourist) and นักธุรกิจnák-tú-rá-gìt (businessman). It suggests skill or dedication, where ผู้pûu just means "the person who": a sports fan is แฟนกีฬาfaen gii-laa, but the one on the field is นักกีฬาnák gii-laa.

In writing, นักnák after a describing word in a negative means "very": ไม่ไกลนักmâi glai nák, not very far. In speech Thais say ไม่ค่อยไกลmâi kâwy glai or ไม่ไกลมากmâi glai mâak.

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:

  • nuk
  • nag

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)

  • ซึ่ง sûeng Who, which (formal)

    which, who (adds information; formal, written)

  • เมื่อ mûea When (formal)

    when, once (formal)

  • จึง jueng Therefore

    so, therefore (before the verb of the result)

  • ต่างๆ dtàang-dtàang Various

    various, all kinds of (after the noun)

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