ครู
teacher
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 teacher、schoolteacher、instructor
This is the basic word for someone who teaches knowledge or skills, especially a schoolteacher or an instructor in a practical subject or lesson setting.
teacher、schoolteacher、instructor
A person whose role is to teach students or learners. It most often means a schoolteacher, but it can also refer to an instructor of languages, music, sports, or other skills.
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ครูสอนภาษาไทย khruu sɔ̌ɔn phaasǎa thay a Thai language teacher ครูสอนภาษาไทย details
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สวัสดีค่ะ คุณครู sawàtdii khà khun khruu Hello, teacher. สวัสดีค่ะ คุณครู details
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อยากเป็นครู yàak pen khruu I want to be a teacher. อยากเป็นครู details
Learning notes
Explanation
ครู has the core idea of “a person who teaches.” It is the most basic word for a schoolteacher and can be combined with a subject, as in ครูภาษาไทย “Thai teacher” or ครูคณิตศาสตร์ “math teacher.” When speaking directly to a teacher, คุณครู is the natural polite form. The usual classifier is คน, as in ครูหนึ่งคน “one teacher.” ท่าน may be used in more respectful contexts, but คน is the practical default for learners.
Usage
It is used in schools, tutoring, language lessons, and lessons for music, sports, or other skills. It is also common when children address teachers or when parents talk about teachers.
Caution
ครู basically means someone who teaches. It is not normally used the way “doctor,” “lawyer,” or public figures may be addressed as “teacher” in some languages. Use หมอ for a doctor, and อาจารย์ is often more natural for university teachers or specialist lecturers.
Differences from similar words
1 teacher synonyms
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อาจารย์ is often used for university teachers, lecturers, specialists, or respected instructors. ครู is the everyday basic word for a teacher, especially a schoolteacher or someone directly teaching a skill.