เขา
he
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 he、she、that person、they、him; her; them、his; her; their
- 2 mountain、hill
- 3 horn、antler
เขา is a very common word. It usually means “he,” “she,” or “they,” but it can also mean a mountain or an animal horn depending on context.
In colloquial speech, it is often pronounced kháw.
he、she、that person、they、him; her; them、his; her; their
A third-person pronoun for someone being talked about. It does not mark gender, so context decides whether it means he, she, or they.
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เขาเป็นครู khǎw pen khruu He/She is a teacher. เขาเป็นครู details
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ฉันรู้จักเขา chǎn rúucàk khǎw I know him/her. ฉันรู้จักเขา details
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บ้านเขาอยู่ใกล้ๆ bâan khǎw yùu klây klây His/Her house is nearby. บ้านเขาอยู่ใกล้ๆ details
mountain、hill
A raised landform, such as a mountain or hill. ภูเขา is also a very common word for “mountain.”
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ขึ้นเขา khʉ̂n khǎw go up a mountain ขึ้นเขา details
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วัดบนเขา wát bon khǎw a temple on the hill วัดบนเขา details
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ข้ามเขาลูกนั้น khâam khǎw lûuk nán cross that mountain ข้ามเขาลูกนั้น details
horn、antler
The hard projection that grows from the head of some animals, such as deer or cattle.
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เขาวัว khǎw wua a cow horn เขาวัว details
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กวางมีเขา kwaaŋ mii khǎw Deer have antlers. กวางมีเขา details
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เขากวาง khǎwkwaaŋ deer antlers เขากวาง details
Learning notes
Explanation
เขา has several common meanings with the same spelling. The most frequent one is the third-person pronoun, meaning he, she, or they depending on context. As a noun, it can also mean a mountain or an animal horn. You will often see it in compounds such as ภูเขา “mountain” and เขากวาง “deer antler.” นกเขา is a common bird name, but it is best learned as a whole compound.
Usage
In everyday conversation, เขา is used constantly when talking about a third person: a friend, family member, coworker, stranger, or someone already mentioned. In travel and geography contexts it can mean “mountain,” and in animal descriptions it can mean “horn” or “antler.”
Caution
เขา does not show gender. Do not confuse it with ขาว “white,” เข่า “knee,” or เข้า “enter.” They differ in tone or spelling, so context is important when listening.
Differences from similar words
1 he synonyms
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เขาเอง emphasizes the person themself, like “he himself” or “she herself.” เขา is the plain pronoun.
2 mountain synonyms
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ภูเขา is the most straightforward everyday word for “mountain.” เขา can also mean mountain, especially in compounds, place names, and short expressions.
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เนินเขา means “hill,” usually smaller and gentler than a mountain. เขา can cover a mountain or hill depending on context.
3 horn synonyms
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เขาสัตว์ explicitly means “animal horn.” เขา alone can mean horn, but without context it may be confused with the pronoun or “mountain.”