สามี
husband
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- 1 husband
A standard Thai word for a married man in relation to his spouse: a husband.
husband
Refers to the male partner in a marriage and is suitable in both everyday and formal contexts.
Learning notes
Explanation
สามี is the standard noun for a male spouse. It comes from Pali and Sanskrit but is fully established as an ordinary word in modern Thai. Possession can be expressed with สามีของ plus a person, as in สามีของฉัน, “my husband.” In conversation, ของ is sometimes omitted: สามีฉัน. The classifier for counting people is คน. Older sources may list meanings such as “master” or “owner,” but modern learners will normally encounter สามี with the meaning “husband.”
Usage
It is used when introducing family members, talking about activities with one’s husband, discussing marriages in the news, or completing official forms. It is neutral enough for a wide range of social and formal settings.
Caution
Use คู่สมรส when you mean “spouse” without specifying gender; the corresponding word for “wife” is ภรรยา. In ordinary modern Thai, do not use สามี to mean an employer, household master, or owner.
Differences from similar words
1 husband synonyms
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ผัว also means “husband,” but it is highly colloquial and can sound rough depending on the context. สามี is neutral and appropriate even in formal situations.
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แฟน is an everyday word that may mean either a romantic partner or a spouse, so it does not necessarily imply marriage. สามี specifically identifies the person as a husband.