dormitory
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 dormitory、boarding house
A dormitory or dorm-like rental residence where students, workers, or other tenants live in individual rooms.
dormitory、boarding house
A dormitory, boarding house, or relatively simple rental building with separate rooms for multiple residents.
-
ฉันอยู่หอพักใกล้มหาวิทยาลัย chǎn yùu hɔ̌ɔ phák klây mahǎawítthayaalay I live in a dorm near the university. ฉันอยู่หอพักใกล้มหาวิทยาลัย details
Learning notes
Explanation
หอพัก combines หอ, referring to a building or dormitory, with พัก, meaning to stay, lodge, or rest. It can refer not only to an officially operated student dorm but also to a privately run building near a university or workplace where rooms are rented to individual tenants. Its meaning can therefore be broader than the English word “dormitory.” In everyday conversation, it is often shortened to หอ. For example, อยู่หอ means to live in a dorm or dorm-style residence, and กลับหอ means to go back to one's dorm or room.
Usage
This word is common when students or workers discuss finding a place to live, rent, location, or facilities. It also frequently appears in housing advertisements near universities, including expressions such as หอพักนักศึกษา for a student dorm and หอพักหญิง for a women's dorm.
Caution
หอพัก does not necessarily mean a dorm owned by a school. To specify an official university dorm, speakers may say หอพักของมหาวิทยาลัย. It is also not normally used for short-term accommodation such as a hotel; โรงแรม or the broader term ที่พัก is more appropriate in that context.
Differences from similar words
1 dormitory synonyms
-
หอ is the common shortened form used in everyday conversation. หอพัก is the full form and is also widely used in advertisements and informational contexts.
-
อพาร์ตเมนต์ refers broadly to an apartment building with rental units. หอพัก more often suggests simpler dorm-style accommodation, especially for students or young workers.