ธุระ

Explanation

In everyday conversation, ธุระ most often means an errand or unspecified matter to take care of. It commonly appears in มีธุระ (“have something to take care of”), ทำธุระ (“take care of an errand”), and ติดธุระ (“be unavailable because of another commitment”). It is useful when the speaker does not want or need to explain the details. ธุระส่วนตัว means “personal business.” In some contexts, ทำธุระ can also serve as a discreet reference to a private activity. In the pattern ไม่ใช่ธุระของ…, the meaning shifts to “not someone’s concern” or “none of someone’s business.” เรื่อง can be used when counting distinct matters, while ธุระหลายอย่าง is also a common way to say “several errands.”

Usage

It is common when explaining one’s schedule, declining an invitation, or briefly stating why one needs to go somewhere. It is also used to ask the purpose of a visit and to tell someone that a matter does not concern them. The word is natural in both personal and workplace settings.

Caution

Do not confuse ธุระ with งาน, which broadly means work, a task, or an event, or with ธุรกิจ, which means business in the commercial sense. ธุระอะไร can sound abrupt depending on tone; มีธุระอะไรหรือครับ/คะ is more polite. ไม่ใช่ธุระของคุณ can be confrontational, much like “None of your business.”

1 errand synonyms

• กิจ

  kìt duty

  กิจ is a somewhat formal word for an activity or duty and often occurs in compounds. ธุระ is the natural everyday choice for an unspecified errand or matter to attend to.

• งาน

  ŋaan task

  งาน broadly refers to work, a task, or an event. ธุระ focuses on a particular errand or matter that needs attention and may be personal.

2 someone's concern synonyms

• หน้าที่

  หน้าที่ specifically means a duty tied to a role or position. ธุระ is broader and can refer to any matter that is properly someone’s concern or responsibility.