บุรุษ
man [formal]
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 man [formal]、male person [formal]
- 2 grammatical person
This is a formal word mainly referring to a man or male person, especially in writing and established compounds. In grammar, it means grammatical person, regardless of gender.
man [formal]、male person [formal]
A formal or elevated term for a man or male person, used mainly in writing and established expressions rather than ordinary conversation.
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ห้องน้ำบุรุษอยู่ทางซ้าย hɔ̂ŋ náam bùrùt yùu thaaŋ sáay The men's restroom is on the left. ห้องน้ำบุรุษอยู่ทางซ้าย details
grammatical person
In grammar, it denotes the relationship of a participant to the act of speaking: first, second, or third person.
Learning notes
Explanation
บุรุษ comes from the Pali-Sanskrit literary tradition and has a formal, elevated tone in modern Thai. When it refers to an individual, it usually means a man or male person. Older and religious texts may also use it more broadly for a person or human being, but learners will find the formal sense “man” most useful in contemporary Thai. It remains natural in established compounds such as สุภาพบุรุษ (“gentleman”). The usual classifier for a person is คน.
Usage
It is used as a formal term for a man in official writing, literature, historical accounts, speeches, and public signs. It also occurs in established expressions such as สุภาพบุรุษ and ห้องน้ำบุรุษ. In its grammatical sense, it appears in lessons and reference works in expressions such as บุรุษที่หนึ่ง, บุรุษที่สอง, and บุรุษที่สาม.
Caution
In ordinary conversation, ผู้ชาย is the natural choice for “man.” Using บุรุษ by itself in casual speech can sound literary or unnecessarily grand. The grammatical sense is unrelated to gender, so บุรุษที่หนึ่ง means “first person,” not “the first man.”
Differences from similar words
1 man [formal] synonyms
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ชาย means “male” or “man” and is widely used both independently and in compounds. บุรุษ has a more elevated tone and may sound overly grand in casual conversation.
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ผู้ชาย is the ordinary everyday word for a man or male. บุรุษ is more formal and is chiefly found in writing, signs, and established compounds.