เธอ
you [informal or intimate]
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 you [informal or intimate]
- 2 she、her
เธอ is a pronoun used either for “you” in informal or close relationships, or for “she/her” when referring to a known female person. It is common, but not a polite default for addressing people.
you [informal or intimate]
Used as “you” when speaking to someone close, equal in status, or lower in status. It is common in intimate, friendly, and romantic contexts.
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เธอชื่ออะไร thəə chʉ̂ʉ aray What’s your name? เธอชื่ออะไร details
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ฉันชอบเธอ chǎn chɔ̂ɔp thəə I like you. ฉันชอบเธอ details
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คิดถึงเธอ khít thʉ̌ŋ thəə I miss you. คิดถึงเธอ details
she、her
Used as “she” or “her” for a female person already clear from context. It can function as either subject or object.
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เธอเป็นครู thəə pen khruu She is a teacher. เธอเป็นครู details
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เมื่อวานฉันเจอเธอ mʉ̂a waan chǎn cəə thəə I met her yesterday. เมื่อวานฉันเจอเธอ details
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เธอสวยมาก thəə sǔay mâak She is very beautiful. เธอสวยมาก details
Learning notes
Explanation
เธอ is a personal pronoun centered on either a close “you” or a known female “she/her.” As a second-person pronoun, it fits friends, partners, peers, or younger people, but it can feel too familiar toward superiors, teachers, customers, or strangers. As a third-person pronoun, it commonly means “she/her.” It is also very common in romantic lines and song lyrics, such as รักเธอ “I love you” and คิดถึงเธอ “I miss you.”
Usage
It appears in casual conversation when addressing someone close or talking about a female person. It is especially common in romantic speech, messages, songs, and dramas.
Caution
Do not use เธอ as a polite all-purpose “you.” With superiors or in formal situations, คุณ, the person’s name, title, or kinship-style terms like พี่/น้อง are usually safer. Because เธอ can mean both “you” and “she/her,” short sentences may be ambiguous without context.
Differences from similar words
1 you [informal or intimate] synonyms
2 she synonyms
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เขา can refer to a third person without strongly marking gender. เธอ more clearly points to a female person.