คน
person
Native recording
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- 1 person、human being、people
- 2 person who...、person with...、person from...
- 3 [classifier for people]
- 4 stir、mix
This is the basic Thai word for a person or human being. It also combines with nationality, qualities, roles, or actions to mean “a person who…,” and it is the classifier used for counting people. As a separate verb, it means to stir or mix food or drinks.
person、human being、people
A basic noun for a person, human being, or people in general.
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มีคนอยู่ในห้อง mii khon yùu nay hɔ̂ŋ There is someone in the room. มีคนอยู่ในห้อง details
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คนไทย khon thay Thai people; a Thai person คนไทย details
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คนทั่วโลก khon thûa lôok people around the world คนทั่วโลก details
person who...、person with...、person from...
Used before a nationality, quality, role, or action phrase to describe what kind of person someone is or what they do.
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เขาเป็นคนดี khǎw pen khon dii He is a good person. เขาเป็นคนดี details
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คนขับรถ khon khàp rót driver คนขับรถ details
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คนขายของ khon khǎay khɔ̌ɔŋ seller; shop worker คนขายของ details
[classifier for people]
The standard classifier for counting people and for referring to a specific person with words like “this” or “that.”
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นักเรียนสามคน nák rian sǎam khon three students นักเรียนสามคน details
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มากันกี่คน? maa kan kìi khon How many people came? มากันกี่คน? details
stir、mix
To stir or mix something, especially food or a drink, so that the parts blend together.
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คนกาแฟ khon kaafɛɛ stir coffee คนกาแฟ details
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คนซุปให้เข้ากัน khon súp hâykhâw kan stir the soup until it is well mixed คนซุปให้เข้ากัน details
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ไข่คน khày khon scrambled eggs ไข่คน details
Learning notes
Explanation
คน is one of the most important Thai words for talking about people. It can combine with nationality, qualities, or actions: คนญี่ปุ่น “Japanese person,” คนดี “good person,” คนรวย “rich person,” and คนขับรถ “driver.” It is also the normal classifier for counting people. The pattern is “person noun + number + คน,” as in นักเรียนสามคน “three students” and เพื่อนสองคน “two friends.” Common forms include กี่คน “how many people,” สองคน “two people,” and คนนี้ “this person.” The same spelling is also a verb meaning “to stir” or “to mix.” For example, คนกาแฟ means “stir coffee.” Context makes the meaning clear.
Usage
This word appears constantly in everyday conversation: introductions, nationality, personality, jobs, and counting people. It is used for things like reserving a table for three, describing someone as a good person, or saying someone is Japanese. The verb sense is common when talking about cooking or drinks.
Caution
When counting people, say นักเรียนสามคน, not สามนักเรียน. For animals, the usual classifier is ตัว, not คน. คน is the normal word for people, but ท่าน may be used instead in polite or respectful contexts.
Differences from similar words
1 person synonyms
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ผู้คน emphasizes people as a group or crowd. คน is more basic and can refer to one person, people generally, or people in a countable way.
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มนุษย์ refers to humans as a species or to human beings in a more formal way. คน is the everyday word for a person or people.
2 person who... synonyms
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ผู้ is often used in more formal or written compounds for a role, such as buyer or writer. คน is more everyday and flexible for “a person who…” or “a person who is….”
3 [classifier for people] synonyms
4 stir synonyms
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กวน can also mean to stir, often while cooking, and it also commonly means to bother or annoy. คน is the straightforward verb for stirring or mixing liquids or food.