มัน
it; they [things or animals]
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 it; they [things or animals]、he; she; they [blunt or disparaging]
- 2 fat、animal fat
- 3 tuber
- 4 oily; greasy、glossy; shiny、rich; fatty-tasting
- 5 excitingly fun、thrilling; absorbing
Depending on context, มัน can refer to a thing or animal as “it,” refer bluntly to a person, mean fat or a tuber, or describe something as oily, glossy, or excitingly fun.
it; they [things or animals]、he; she; they [blunt or disparaging]
A third-person pronoun for a previously mentioned thing or animal. When used for a person, it sounds blunt and may be insulting.
-
มันขึ้นอยู่กับเวลา man khʉ̂n yùu kàp weelaa It depends on the time. มันขึ้นอยู่กับเวลา details
Show more (1)
-
มันไม่มาเหรอ man mây maa rə̌ə Isn't he coming? มันไม่มาเหรอ details
fat、animal fat
Fatty tissue in a person or animal, especially the visible fat on meat.
-
มันหมู man mǔu pork fat มันหมู details
-
เนื้อติดมัน nʉ́a tìt man meat with some fat on it เนื้อติดมัน details
tuber
A general term for edible tubers and root crops, usually followed by another word identifying the specific kind.
-
ปลูกมันไว้กิน plùuk man wáy kin Grow tubers for food. ปลูกมันไว้กิน details
-
มันฝรั่ง man faràŋ potato มันฝรั่ง details
oily; greasy、glossy; shiny、rich; fatty-tasting
Describes food, skin, or hair as oily or greasy, and a surface as glossy or shiny. With food, it can also suggest a rich, fatty taste.
-
หน้ามัน nâa man The face is oily. หน้ามัน details
-
ผมมัน phǒm man The hair is greasy. ผมมัน details
Show more (2)
-
กระดาษมัน kradàat man glossy paper กระดาษมัน details
-
แกงนี้มันมาก kɛɛŋ níi man mâak This curry is very rich and oily. แกงนี้มันมาก details
excitingly fun、thrilling; absorbing
An informal word for entertainment or an activity that is exciting, energetic, and absorbing rather than merely pleasant.
-
หนังเรื่องนี้มันมาก nǎŋ rʉ̂aŋ níi man mâak This movie is really exciting. หนังเรื่องนี้มันมาก details
-
เกมนี้เล่นมันมาก keem níi lên man mâak This game is really fun to play. เกมนี้เล่นมันมาก details
Show more (1)
-
ดูบอลอย่างมัน duu bɔɔn yàaŋ man Watch the soccer game with great excitement. ดูบอลอย่างมัน details
Learning notes
Explanation
มัน is highly context-dependent and can function as several different parts of speech. As a pronoun, it refers to a thing, situation, or animal. It can also stand for an entire situation, as in มันยาก (“It's difficult”) or มันขึ้นอยู่กับ… (“It depends on…”). It may be omitted when a natural English sentence does not require an explicit pronoun. As a noun, it has two distinct meanings: animal fat and a tuber or root crop. In the tuber sense, it is commonly followed by a word specifying the variety, as in มันฝรั่ง, มันเทศ, and มันสำปะหลัง. Individual tubers are counted with หัว. As a descriptive word, มัน can mean oily or greasy with skin and hair, glossy with surfaces, and rich or fatty-tasting with food. In informal entertainment contexts, it describes something as exciting and absorbing, with more energy and intensity than a general word such as สนุก.
Usage
It is common in everyday speech when referring back to a thing, animal, or situation. In food-related contexts it can refer to fat or oiliness, while with skin and hair it describes excess oil. It also appears in the names of tuber crops. In conversations about movies, action scenes, sports, games, or music, it often means exciting, energetic, and highly enjoyable.
Caution
มัน is not a neutral pronoun for a person. It may be used among close friends or by someone speaking about a younger or lower-status person, but it can sound dismissive or insulting. Avoid it for strangers, respected people, and superiors; use เขา for a neutral “he” or “she.” With food, มัน may describe pleasant richness or excessive greasiness depending on context. Add a clearer evaluative word such as อร่อย (“delicious”) or เลี่ยน (“cloying or unpleasantly rich”) when the distinction matters.
Differences from similar words
1 it; they [things or animals] synonyms
-
เขา is the usual neutral pronoun for “he” or “she.” มัน is natural for things and animals, but can sound blunt or derogatory when used for a person.
3 tuber synonyms
-
หัวมัน specifically refers to the edible underground tuber itself. มัน can refer more broadly to the tuber crop or plant.
4 oily; greasy synonyms
-
เลี่ยน negatively describes food as so rich, oily, or sweet that it becomes cloying. มัน describes oiliness or richness without necessarily judging it negatively.
5 excitingly fun synonyms
-
สนุก is the general word for “fun” or “enjoyable” and fits a wide range of situations. มัน emphasizes excitement, intensity, and being caught up in an activity, especially with movies, sports, or games.