กะเทย
transgender woman [depending on context]
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 transgender woman [depending on context]、ladyboy [informal; can be offensive]
- 2 hermaphroditic organism、hermaphrodite [biology]
This everyday Thai term most commonly refers to a person assigned male at birth who lives or presents in a feminine way, often a transgender woman or a member of Thailand’s traditional third-gender category. It can also describe an organism with both male and female reproductive characteristics.
transgender woman [depending on context]、ladyboy [informal; can be offensive]
An everyday Thai label for a broad gender category, most often referring to transgender women or feminine people assigned male at birth.
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กะเทยที่ไทยสวยมาก kàthəəy thîi thay sǔay mâak Transgender women in Thailand are very beautiful. กะเทยที่ไทยสวยมาก details
hermaphroditic organism、hermaphrodite [biology]
An organism or biological structure possessing both male and female reproductive characteristics.
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ดอกมะละกอกะเทย dɔ̀ɔk málákɔɔ kàthəəy a bisexual papaya flower ดอกมะละกอกะเทย details
Learning notes
Explanation
When used for people, กะเทย denotes a broad gender category rooted in Thai society and culture. It often refers to transgender women today, but depending on the speaker and context, it may also include feminine men. It therefore does not correspond perfectly to the modern category “transgender woman.” Possible English renderings include “kathoey,” “transgender woman,” and “ladyboy.” “Kathoey” preserves the Thai cultural meaning most closely. “Ladyboy” is common in tourism-oriented English but can sound objectifying or offensive and may not reflect a person’s preferred identity. The usual classifier for people is คน, as in กะเทยคนหนึ่ง, “one kathoey person.” In biology, the word can refer to an organism or structure with both male and female reproductive characteristics, as in ดอกกะเทย, “bisexual flower.”
Usage
The word is commonly heard in casual conversation, entertainment, television, and discussions about people. Some people use it positively for themselves or within their community. In workplaces, healthcare, reporting, and other contexts requiring precision and respect, a more specific neutral term such as ผู้หญิงข้ามเพศ may be preferable, depending on the person’s identity. The biological sense appears mainly in descriptions of plants and animals.
Caution
When applied to a person, กะเทย may be a comfortable self-description, but it can also be mocking or insulting. Do not label someone this way based solely on appearance or use it directly for them without knowing their preference. กะเทย is not synonymous with เกย์, “gay.” The former mainly concerns gender identity or presentation, while the latter concerns sexual orientation. The biological meaning should also not be used as a medical label for intersex people.
Differences from similar words
1 transgender woman [depending on context] synonyms
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เกย์ primarily means a gay man and describes sexual orientation. กะเทย concerns gender identity or gender presentation, so the two terms are not interchangeable.