ทำตัว

Explanation

ทำตัว combines ทำ (“do” or “make”) with ตัว (“self”), giving it the basic image of putting oneself into a certain manner or state. Although it can mean “behave” by itself, it commonly takes a following description, as in ทำตัวดี (“behave well”), ทำตัวแปลก ๆ (“act strangely”), or ทำตัวเหมือนเด็ก (“act like a child”). Two useful everyday expressions are ทำตัวไม่ถูก, meaning that someone feels awkward and does not know how to act, and ทำตัวตามสบาย, meaning to relax or make oneself comfortable.

Usage

Common in everyday conversation at home, school, work, and among friends when describing or judging someone's behavior. It is also used when telling a child to behave, criticizing an attitude, expressing awkwardness, or inviting a guest to relax.

Caution

ทำตัว normally refers to behavior, not the physical movement of the body. Also, ทำตัวเป็น… may mean either “act as…” or “act as though one were…,” depending on context. For explicitly pretending or faking something, แกล้งทำเป็น is clearer.

1 behave synonyms

• ประพฤติตัว

  ประพฤติตัว is more formal and often concerns conduct judged by moral or disciplinary standards. ทำตัว is the common everyday choice and readily combines with words describing a person's behavior.

• วางตัว

  วางตัว emphasizes carrying oneself appropriately for one's social position or relationships. ทำตัว is broader and describes how someone actually behaves.