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The 100 most common Thai words

Learn Thai For Free team · Updated
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones

The short answer

The most common Thai word is ที่tîi (that, at), followed by เป็นbpen (to be), ในnai (in), ของkǎwng (of) and มีmii (to have). Our list of the 100 most common Thai words is ranked by real frequency in the Thai National Corpus, a large collection of written Thai, after removing formal written words, prefixes and symbols. Together these 100 words make up about 41 percent of all the Thai words in the corpus. Each comes with audio and a short example.

The list at a glance

The 100 words below are in order of frequency, from ที่tîi at number one to หาhǎa (to look for) at number 100. Each has its romanization, its main meanings, audio and a short example you can use straight away. Most are short, one-syllable words, and most are the glue of Thai sentences: little words for in, of, with, not, will and already, plus the verbs and pronouns you need every day.

Learn these 100 and you'll recognise about four in every ten words of written Thai. That doesn't mean you'll understand four in ten sentences, because the less frequent words carry most of the meaning. But every sentence you meet will contain familiar anchors, and that's what makes the rest learnable.

How we chose the words

We started from the word-frequency list of the Thai National Corpus (TNC), built at Chulalongkorn University from books, magazines, newspapers and other written texts. We used the version distributed with PyThaiNLP, an open-source Thai language library, which counts about 33.5 million words. We sorted every Thai word by how often it appears and kept that order. Then we removed four kinds of items that would waste a learner's time:

  • Word-building prefixes that don't stand alone, such as การgaan and ความkwaam, which turn verbs and adjectives into nouns (ความรักkwaam rák, love), and ผู้pûu (person who). การgaan is in fact the second most frequent word in the corpus.
  • Formal written words that rarely come up in everyday conversation, such as ซึ่งsûeng (which), โดยdooi (by), จึงjueng (therefore) and สามารถsǎa-mâat (to be able to), and news vocabulary like สังคมsǎng-kom (society). In speech, Thais say ได้dâi for "can" and ก็เลยgâw loei for "so".
  • Symbols and titles, such as the repetition mark ไม้ยมกmái-yá-mók, นายnaai (Mr) and พระprá (monk; holy).
  • Combinations of two listed words, such as ทำให้tam-hâi (to make, cause), which is ทำtam plus ให้hâi.

Everything else keeps its place in the ranking. We skipped 21 items to reach 100 words, so the last word on the list, หาhǎa, is number 121 in the corpus ranking. Any frequency list reflects the texts behind it, and the TNC is written Thai: it over-counts the language of books and news and under-counts the language of conversation. That's why some words you'll hear every day rank lower than you'd expect.

The everyday words that just missed the cut

Because the corpus is written Thai, some of the most useful spoken words sit just below the top 100: น้ำnáam (water, number 130), ใช่châi (yes, that's right, 133), ช่วยchûay (to help, 140), ขอkǎw (to ask for, 143), ใจjai (heart, mind, 166), กินgin (to eat, 170), ครับkráp (199), รักrák (to love, 203), ไหนnǎi (where, which, 222), เข้าใจkâo-jai (to understand, 225), ชอบchâwp (to like, 226) and ค่ะkâ (283). Learn them alongside the 100.

The favourite words of every phrasebook are much further down: ขอบคุณkàwp-kun (thank you) is number 1,286, เท่าไหร่tâo-rài (how much?) 1,405, อร่อยà-ràwy (delicious) 1,496 and สวัสดีsà-wàt-dii (hello) 2,789. Novels and newspapers rarely say hello. A frequency list is a great guide for reading, but for speaking you also need survival phrases, which is why our course starts with them.

What the list tells you about Thai

  • Grammar lives in small words. Thai verbs never change, so little words do the work of tenses: จะjà (will), แล้วláew (already), ยังyang (still, not yet) and เคยkoei (have ever) are all in the top 100.
  • One word, many jobs. ได้dâi means can, get and, after ไม่mâi, didn't: ไม่ได้ไปmâi dâi bpai is "didn't go". ให้hâi means give, for and let: ซื้อให้แม่súue hâi mâe is "buy it for mum". ถูกtùuk means cheap and correct, and it also marks the passive: ถูกหมากัดtùuk mǎa gàt, "got bitten by a dog".
  • Direction words everywhere. ไปbpai, มาmaa, ขึ้นkûen, ลงlong, เข้าkâo, ออกàwk and กลับglàp follow other verbs to show which way the action goes: เดินไปdoen bpai is "walk away" and เข้ามาkâo maa is "come in".
  • Lots of ways to say I and you. ผมpǒm, ฉันchǎn, เราrao, คุณkun and เธอtoe are all here, because Thai chooses its pronouns by gender, closeness and politeness.

Learn them in groups, not in rank order

Rank order tells you what to learn; it's not the best order to learn it in. Group the words by the job they do:

  • Linking words: ที่tîi, ของkǎwng, และláe, กับgàp, หรือrǔue, แต่dtàe, ก็gâw, ว่าwâa, ถ้าtâa, เพราะpráw, เพื่อpûea
  • Place and direction: ในnai, จากjàak, ถึงtǔeng, ทางtaang, นี้níi, นั้นnán, นี่nîi, ไปbpai, มาmaa, ขึ้นkûen, ลงlong, เข้าkâo, ออกàwk, กลับglàp
  • Time: จะjà, แล้วláew, ยังyang, เคยkoei, ก่อนgàwn, อีกìik, เมื่อmûea, เวลาwee-laa, วันwan, ปีbpii, ครั้งkráng
  • People: คนkon, ผมpǒm, ฉันchǎn, เราrao, คุณkun, เธอtoe, เขาkǎo, มันman, เด็กdèk, ใครkrai
  • Everyday verbs: เป็นbpen, มีmii, อยู่yùu, ได้dâi, ให้hâi, ทำtam, ใช้chái, ต้องdtâwng, เห็นhěn, ดูduu, รู้rúu, คิดkít, พูดpûut, บอกbàwk, เอาao, รับráp, หาhǎa, เกิดgòet
  • Describing and comparing: ไม่mâi, ดีdii, มากmâak, ใหม่mài, ถูกtùuk, หลายlǎai, บางbaang, ทุกtúk, อื่นùuen, เหมือนmǔean, กว่าgwàa

The rest are everyday nouns, such as บ้านbâan (home), งานngaan (work) and ปัญหาbpan-hǎa (problem), and the particles นะná and เลยloei.

How to learn the 100 words

  1. Ten a day, always in a phrase. Learn each word with its example, never alone. In ten days you've met the whole list; keep reviewing.
  2. Use spaced repetition. Review each word just before you'd forget it. Our course does this automatically; Anki works if you prefer to build your own deck.
  3. Get the tones right from the start. The list hides some classic pairs: ไม่mâi (not) and ใหม่mài (new), เขาkǎo (he, she) and เข้าkâo (to enter). Play the audio and copy the melody, not just the letters.
  4. Listen for them. Put on any Thai song or video and try to catch ไม่mâi, จะjà, แล้วláew and ที่tîi. You'll hear them in almost every line.
  5. Read them. These are the first words you'll be able to pick out of real Thai text. Our free Read Thai course uses them in its practice words.

How many Thai words do you need?

The same corpus gives a clear picture of how fast coverage grows. By our count, the 100 most frequent Thai words (before our filtering) make up about 45 percent of all the words in the TNC, the top 1,000 about 77 percent, the top 2,000 about 86 percent and the top 3,000 about 90 percent. Recognising words isn't the same as understanding, and the rarer words carry much of the meaning. But the curve shows why the first thousand words are worth so much, and why a course that recycles the most common words over and over gets you understanding real Thai faster than a long, flat word list.

The Thai in this guide

Every word and phrase from this guide, with audio. Tap any Thai word for its meaning.

  • ที่ tîi

    that, which; at; place

    ที่บ้านtîi bâan: at home

  • เป็น bpen

    to be (a person or thing); can (a skill)

    เป็นครูbpen kruu: is a teacher

  • ใน nai

    in, inside

    ในห้องnai hâwng: in the room

  • ของ kǎwng

    of, belonging to; thing, stuff

    ของใครkǎwng krai: whose is it?

  • มี mii

    to have; there is, there are

    มีไหมmii mǎi: do you have it?

  • จะ jà

    will, going to

    พรุ่งนี้จะไปprûng-níi jà bpai: I'll go tomorrow

  • และ láe

    and

    Common in writing; in conversation Thais more often use กับgàp.

  • ไม่ mâi

    not, no

    ไม่เผ็ดmâi pèt: not spicy

  • ได้ dâi

    can, be able to; to get; did

    ได้ไหมdâi mǎi: can I? is that OK?

  • ให้ hâi

    to give; for; to let

    ให้เขาhâi kǎo: give it to him or her

  • ว่า wâa

    that (after say, think)

    เขาบอกว่าkǎo bàwk wâa: he or she said that...

  • ไป bpai

    to go

    ไปไหนbpai nǎi: where are you going?

  • มา maa

    to come

    มานี่maa nîi: come here

  • ก็ gâw

    also; then, so

    ก็ได้gâw dâi: sure, that works too

  • คน kon

    person, people; counting word for people

    คนไทยkon tai: Thai people

  • กับ gàp

    with; and

    กับใครgàp krai: with whom?

  • แล้ว láew

    already; and then

    กินแล้วgin láew: I've eaten already

  • อยู่ yùu

    to be (somewhere), stay, live

    อยู่ที่ไหนyùu tîi-nǎi: where is it?

  • หรือ rǔue

    or

    ชาหรือกาแฟchaa rǔue gaa-fae: tea or coffee?

  • จาก jàak

    from

    มาจากไหนmaa jàak nǎi: where are you from?

  • กัน gan

    each other; together

    ไปด้วยกันbpai dûay gan: let's go together

  • นี้ níi

    this (after a noun)

    อันนี้an níi: this one

  • แต่ dtàe

    but

    ถูกแต่อร่อยtùuk dtàe à-ràwy: cheap but tasty

  • อย่าง yàang

    kind, sort; like, as

    อย่างนี้yàang níi: like this

  • ต้อง dtâwng

    must, have to

    ต้องไปแล้วdtâwng bpai láew: I have to go now

  • ด้วย dûay

    too, also; with; please (softener)

    เช็คบิลด้วยchék-bin dûay: the bill, please

  • ขึ้น kûen

    to go up; to get on (a vehicle)

    ขึ้นรถkûen rót: get in the car

  • เขา kǎo

    he, she, they

    เขาชื่ออะไรkǎo chûue à-rai: what's his or her name?

  • นั้น nán

    that (after a noun)

    วันนั้นwan nán: that day

  • ตาม dtaam

    to follow; according to

    ตามสบายdtaam sà-baai: make yourself comfortable

  • มาก mâak

    very; a lot

    ขอบคุณมากkàwp-kun mâak: thank you very much

  • ใช้ chái

    to use

    ใช้บัตรได้ไหมchái bàt dâi mǎi: can I pay by card?

  • ทาง taang

    way, route

    ทางนี้taang níi: this way

  • เรื่อง rûeang

    story, matter, topic

    เรื่องอะไรrûeang à-rai: about what?

  • เรา rao

    we, us; I (casual)

    เราไปกันเถอะrao bpai gan tòe: let's go

  • ยัง yang

    still; yet; not yet

    ยังไม่ได้กินyang mâi dâi gin: I haven't eaten yet

  • ทำ tam

    to do, make

    ทำอะไรอยู่tam à-rai yùu: what are you doing?

  • เพื่อ pûea

    for, in order to

    เพื่อคุณpûea kun: for you

  • ผม pǒm

    I, me (men); hair

    Men's everyday word for I; it also means hair.

  • อีก ìik

    again, more, another

    อีกครั้งìik kráng: once more

  • หนึ่ง nùeng

    one

    กาแฟหนึ่งแก้วgaa-fae nùeng gâew: one coffee

  • เมื่อ mûea

    when (formal)

    Everyday Thai keeps it in เมื่อวานmûea-waan (yesterday) and เมื่อไหร่mûea-rài (when?).

  • ถึง tǔeng

    to arrive, reach; until

    ถึงแล้วtǔeng láew: we're here

  • เข้า kâo

    to enter, go in

    เข้ามาkâo maa: come in

  • เพราะ práw

    because

    เพราะอะไรpráw à-rai: why? (because of what?)

  • ดี dii

    good

    ดีมากdii mâak: very good

  • ออก àwk

    to go out, leave

    ทางออกtaang-àwk: exit

  • ฉัน chǎn

    I, me (women; anyone in songs)

    Women's everyday word for I; in songs men use it too.

  • เกิด gòet

    to be born; to happen

    เกิดอะไรขึ้นgòet à-rai kûen: what happened?

  • คือ kuue

    is, means, namely

    นี่คืออะไรnîi kuue à-rai: what is this?

  • เห็น hěn

    to see

    เห็นไหมhěn mǎi: can you see it?

  • กว่า gwàa

    more than, -er

    ถูกกว่าtùuk gwàa: cheaper

  • ไทย tai

    Thai

    อาหารไทยaa-hǎan tai: Thai food

  • ไว้ wái

    to keep, put aside (for later)

    เก็บไว้gèp wái: keep it

  • ตัว dtua

    body; counting word for animals and clothes

    เสื้อตัวนี้sûea dtua níi: this shirt

  • ปี bpii

    year

    ปีนี้bpii níi: this year

  • เธอ toe

    you (close friends, partners); she

    Very common in songs and between couples.

  • คุณ kun

    you (polite); Mr, Ms

    คุณชื่ออะไรkun chûue à-rai: what's your name?

  • ต่อ dtàw

    to continue; to connect; per

    ต่อราคาdtàw raa-kaa: to haggle over the price

  • ทั้ง táng

    all, whole; both

    ทั้งหมดเท่าไหร่táng-mòt tâo-rài: how much altogether?

  • มัน man

    it

    มันแพงman paeng: it's expensive

  • เลย loei

    at all; really (for emphasis)

    อร่อยมากเลยà-ràwy mâak loei: it's really delicious

  • ถ้า tâa

    if

    ถ้าฝนตกtâa fǒn dtòk: if it rains

  • อะไร à-rai

    what

    กินอะไรดีgin à-rai dii: what shall we eat?

  • เวลา wee-laa

    time; when

    ไม่มีเวลาmâi mii wee-laa: there's no time

  • ลง long

    to go down; to get off

    ลงรถlong rót: get out of the car

  • ประเทศ bprà-têet

    country

    ประเทศไทยbprà-têet-tai: Thailand

  • อาจ àat

    may, might

    อาจจะฝนตกàat jà fǒn dtòk: it might rain

  • แบบ bàep

    style, kind; like

    แบบไหนbàep nǎi: which kind?

  • ถูก tùuk

    cheap; correct

    ถูกมากtùuk mâak: very cheap

  • ทุก túk

    every

    ทุกวันtúk wan: every day

  • วัน wan

    day

    วันนี้wan-níi: today

  • ก่อน gàwn

    before; first

    ไปก่อนนะbpai gàwn ná: I'm off, bye

  • อื่น ùuen

    other

    อย่างอื่นyàang ùuen: something else

  • ดู duu

    to look, watch

    ขอดูหน่อยkǎw duu nàwy: can I have a look?

  • ครั้ง kráng

    time, occasion

    ครั้งแรกkráng râek: the first time

  • รู้ rúu

    to know

    ไม่รู้mâi rúu: I don't know

  • เอา ao

    to take, want

    เอาอันนี้ao an níi: I'll take this one

  • สอง sǎwng

    two

    สองคนsǎwng kon: two people

  • งาน ngaan

    work, job; event, party

    งานเยอะngaan yóe: lots of work

  • นะ ná

    softener: okay?, you know

    ไม่เป็นไรนะmâi bpen rai ná: it's fine, really

  • หน้า nâa

    face; front; next (week, year)

    ปีหน้าbpii nâa: next year

  • บอก bàwk

    to tell

    บอกเขาด้วยbàwk kǎo dûay: please tell him or her

  • กลับ glàp

    to go back, return

    กลับบ้านglàp bâan: go home

  • บาง baang

    some; thin

    บางคนbaang kon: some people

  • จน jon

    until; poor

    จนถึงวันนี้jon tǔeng wan-níi: until today

  • คิด kít

    to think

    คิดถึงkít-tǔeng: to miss someone

  • เด็ก dèk

    child, kid

    เด็กๆdèk-dèk: the kids

  • ชีวิต chii-wít

    life

    ชีวิตในเชียงใหม่chii-wít nai chiang-mài: life in Chiang Mai

  • เหมือน mǔean

    like, the same as

    เหมือนกันmǔean gan: the same; me too

  • รับ ráp

    to receive, accept; to pick up

    ไปรับbpai ráp: go and pick someone up

  • หลาย lǎai

    many, several

    หลายครั้งlǎai kráng: many times

  • พูด pûut

    to speak

    พูดช้าๆหน่อยpûut cháa-cháa nàwy: please speak slowly

  • บ้าน bâan

    house, home

    บ้านอยู่ไหนbâan yùu nǎi: where do you live?

  • ใหม่ mài

    new; again

    ปีใหม่bpii-mài: New Year

  • เคย koei

    have ever; used to

    เคยไปไหมkoei bpai mǎi: have you ever been?

  • นี่ nîi

    this (here)

    นี่เท่าไหร่nîi tâo-rài: how much is this?

  • ปัญหา bpan-hǎa

    problem

    ไม่มีปัญหาmâi mii bpan-hǎa: no problem

  • ใคร krai

    who

    นั่นใครnân krai: who's that?

  • หา hǎa

    to look for

    หาอะไรhǎa à-rai: what are you looking for?

Questions people ask

What is the most common word in Thai?

ที่tîi, meaning 'that, which, who', 'at' or 'place', depending on context. It's number one in the Thai National Corpus, ahead of การgaan (a prefix that turns verbs into nouns), เป็นbpen (to be) and ในnai (in).

What are the most useful Thai words for tourists?

Survival words matter more than frequency on a trip: สวัสดีsà-wàt-dii (hello), ขอบคุณkàwp-kun (thank you), ขอโทษkǎw-tôot (sorry), ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai (no problem), เท่าไหร่tâo-rài (how much?), ห้องน้ำhâwng-náam (bathroom), อร่อยà-ràwy (delicious) and ไม่เผ็ดmâi pèt (not spicy). Our basic Thai phrases list has them all with audio.

How many Thai words do you need to know?

In the Thai National Corpus, the 1,000 most frequent words make up about 77 percent of all the words, and the top 3,000 about 90 percent. In practice, a few hundred words and phrases get you through daily situations, and conversation gets comfortable as you build towards a few thousand.

What are some beautiful Thai words?

Many of the loveliest are built on ใจjai, heart: ใจดีjai-dii (kind, 'good heart') and ใจเย็นjai-yen (calm, 'cool heart'). Others: คิดถึงkít-tǔeng (to miss someone, literally 'think of'), สบายsà-baai (comfortable, well) and สนุกsà-nùk (fun).

Are Thai words one syllable?

Many everyday words are: 95 of the 100 on this list have one syllable. Longer words are usually compounds of short ones, like ห้องน้ำhâwng-náam (bathroom, 'room water'), or come from Pali and Sanskrit, like ประเทศbprà-têet (country).

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