ธนาคาร
bank
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 bank、financial institution
- 2 bank (repository)、storage and supply facility
This word primarily refers to a bank that provides financial services. In compounds, it can also mean a facility or system that collects and stores resources such as blood or seeds.
bank、financial institution
A financial institution—or one of its physical locations—that handles deposits, withdrawals, transfers, loans, and related services.
bank (repository)、storage and supply facility
In compounds, it refers to a facility or system that collects, preserves, and supplies a particular resource when needed.
Learning notes
Explanation
ธนาคาร can refer both to a banking institution and to a physical bank location. For example, ไปธนาคาร naturally means “go to the bank.” It is the standard neutral term and is suitable for conversation, news, signs, and formal documents. The informal แบงก์ is also common in speech, but ธนาคาร is normally used in official names and formal contexts. The classifier แห่ง is used when counting banks or financial institutions. A bank branch is สาขาธนาคาร, with สาขา meaning “branch.” In the repository sense, ธนาคาร normally appears with the resource being stored, as in ธนาคารเลือด (“blood bank”). When used alone, ธนาคาร is ordinarily understood as a financial bank.
Usage
It is commonly used when discussing bank services such as opening an account, depositing or withdrawing money, making transfers, exchanging currency, or applying for a loan. It also appears in questions about bank locations and opening hours and in economic news about central or commercial banks. In medical and agricultural contexts, it occurs in compounds such as “blood bank” and “seed bank.”
Caution
ธนาคาร refers to a bank or bank location, while สาขาธนาคาร means a bank branch and ตู้เอทีเอ็ม means an ATM. If you are specifically going to an ATM to withdraw cash, ไปกดเงินที่ตู้เอทีเอ็ม is more precise. Also note that the informal word แบงก์ can mean either a bank or a banknote, depending on context.
Differences from similar words
1 bank synonyms
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แบงก์ is a common informal word that can also mean a banknote. ธนาคาร is the standard, unambiguous term used in both everyday and formal contexts.