แต่งตัว

Explanation

แต่งตัว combines แต่ง, “to arrange or decorate,” with ตัว, “body” or “self.” Its basic image is arranging one’s appearance with clothing, and it is extremely common in everyday Thai. Used by itself, it commonly means “get dressed.” A word describing manner can follow it to show how someone dresses: แต่งตัวสวย means “dress beautifully,” while แต่งตัวสุภาพ means “dress appropriately or respectfully.” The pattern แต่งตัวเป็น + person or character means “dress up as.” For example, แต่งตัวเป็นเจ้าหญิง means “dress up as a princess.”

Usage

It is used when talking about getting dressed in the morning or before going out, telling someone to get ready, or describing whether a child can dress independently. It is also common when discussing personal style, appropriate clothing for work or formal events, and costumes for performances or celebrations.

Caution

To explicitly say that someone changes from one set of clothes into another, use เปลี่ยนเสื้อผ้า. แต่งตัว normally describes dressing oneself; to describe dressing another person, add ให้ and the recipient, as in แต่งตัวให้เด็ก, “dress the child.”

1 get dressed synonyms

• แต่งกาย

  แต่งกาย also means “to dress,” but it sounds more formal and often appears in rules, instructions, or formal descriptions. แต่งตัว is the usual everyday expression.

• ใส่เสื้อผ้า

  ใส่เสื้อผ้า directly refers to putting on or wearing clothes. แต่งตัว can cover the broader process of getting dressed and arranging one’s overall appearance.