พ่อค้า
male merchant or trader
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 male merchant or trader、male seller
This word refers to a man who makes a living buying or selling goods, from a market vendor to a merchant involved in trade and distribution.
male merchant or trader、male seller
A man who sells goods or conducts trade, whether as a local vendor, shopkeeper, or merchant.
Learning notes
Explanation
พ่อค้า is formed from พ่อ and ค้า. Here, พ่อ does not mean “father”; it functions as an element indicating a male person. ค้า means “to trade” or “to engage in commerce,” so the word as a whole means a man who trades or sells goods. It can refer to a market or street vendor as well as a merchant who buys and resells goods. The classifier for counting these people is คน, as in พ่อค้าหนึ่งคน (“one male merchant”) and พ่อค้าคนนี้ (“this male merchant”).
Usage
It is commonly used when talking about a man selling goods at a market, stall, or shop. It also appears in discussions of purchasing, distribution, pricing, and other commercial activities.
Caution
This word explicitly identifies the person as male. Use แม่ค้า for a woman, คนขาย for a gender-neutral seller, and ผู้ค้า for a more formal, gender-neutral trader. นักธุรกิจ is usually more appropriate for a businessperson or company executive who is not specifically described as trading goods.
Differences from similar words
1 male merchant or trader synonyms
-
คนขาย is a general, gender-neutral word for a seller and can also refer to a sales clerk. พ่อค้า specifically identifies the seller or merchant as male and more strongly suggests someone engaged in commerce.
-
ผู้ค้า is a somewhat more formal, gender-neutral term for a merchant or trader. พ่อค้า explicitly refers to a man and is natural in everyday contexts such as markets and local commerce.