ช้าง
elephant
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- 1 elephant
This is the ordinary, neutral Thai word for an elephant, the large animal with a long trunk.
elephant
It refers to the animal elephant and is used in everyday conversation as well as discussions of wildlife, tourism, and Thai history and culture.
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ขี่ช้าง khìi cháaŋ ride an elephant ขี่ช้าง details
Learning notes
Explanation
ช้าง is the standard everyday word for an elephant. Because elephants have an important place in Thai history and culture, the word often appears not only in discussions of animals and nature but also in tourism and historical contexts. The traditional classifier for elephants is เชือก, especially for domesticated elephants: ช้างหนึ่งเชือก means “one elephant.” The general animal classifier ตัว is also used, particularly for wild elephants; for example, ช้างป่าสองตัว means “two wild elephants.”
Usage
It is commonly used when talking about elephants at zoos or wildlife reserves, discussing wildlife and conservation, or describing Thai tourism, history, and culture.
Caution
Calling a person ช้าง can sound like a rude joke about their size or weight. Also, do not confuse ช้าง with the similarly spelled ช่าง, which can mean a craftsperson or technician.