สุนัข
dog
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- 1 dog
A standard, somewhat formal word for a dog, often used in writing, polite speech, signs, and professional settings.
dog
Refers to a dog in a polite, neutral, or relatively formal way.
Learning notes
Explanation
สุนัข is a polite, somewhat formal noun meaning “dog.” It can be used in conversation, but it is especially common in writing and official or professional contexts, where it sounds more refined than หมา. The word is of Pali origin. Dogs take the classifier ตัว, so “one dog” is สุนัขหนึ่งตัว and “two dogs” is สุนัขสองตัว.
Usage
It is commonly used when speaking politely about pets, as well as in veterinary clinics, news reports, pet-product labels, and notices about dogs in public facilities.
Caution
หมา is more common in casual conversation, but comparing a person to a หมา can be insulting. สุนัข is the safer choice when a polite, neutral tone is needed. Also, the Year of the Dog is normally called ปีจอ, not ปีสุนัข.
Differences from similar words
1 dog synonyms
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หมา is the usual everyday word for “dog” and is extremely common in conversation. สุนัข sounds more polite and formal, making it common in writing, public notices, news reports, and veterinary settings.