ชรา

Explanation

ชรา is used mainly of people and presents old age as a stage of life, sometimes with an implication of physical decline. It has a formal, somewhat bookish tone and commonly appears in established expressions such as คนชรา, วัยชรา, and ชราภาพ. It does not by itself mean that someone has dementia or impaired judgment.

Usage

It commonly appears in government, welfare, and medical writing, as well as discussions of later life, news reports, and literary prose. In everyday conversation, it is more often encountered in established expressions than used freely on its own.

Caution

Do not normally use ชรา for old objects; เก่า is the usual word for that. คนชรา can also sound impersonal in some contexts, so ผู้สูงอายุ is often the more considerate term when referring to elderly people.

1 elderly synonyms

• สูงอายุ

  สูงอายุ is a relatively neutral and considerate way to say “elderly.” ชรา refers more directly to old age and can carry a stronger suggestion of age-related decline.

• แก่

  kɛ̀ɛ old

  แก่ is the ordinary everyday word for “old” and can describe people as well as various things. ชรา is more formal and is used mainly for people in old age.