ชีพ
life
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 life、existence
- 2 livelihood、subsistence、way of living
ชีพ centers on the idea of life or being alive, and it can also extend to livelihood or subsistence. It is more often seen in fixed expressions and compounds than used casually on its own.
life、existence
A somewhat formal word for life itself, often used in serious, elevated, or written expressions.
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สละชีพ salà chîip to sacrifice one's life สละชีพ details
livelihood、subsistence、way of living
This sense refers to livelihood or subsistence, the means of keeping oneself alive. It is most useful in fixed phrases such as เลี้ยงชีพ, ยังชีพ, and ค่าครองชีพ.
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ค่าครองชีพสูงขึ้น khâa khrɔɔŋ chîip sǔuŋ khʉ̂n The cost of living is rising. ค่าครองชีพสูงขึ้น details
Learning notes
Explanation
ชีพ has the core idea of life, but it is not a casual standalone word in most everyday contexts. ชีวิต is the broader and more common word for life. For learners, ชีพ is best learned through set expressions such as เสียชีพ “to lose one’s life,” สละชีพ “to sacrifice one’s life,” เลี้ยงชีพ “to make a living,” and ค่าครองชีพ “cost of living.”
Usage
You will often see this word in news, written language, formal expressions, and social or economic topics. It appears especially in serious contexts about losing or sacrificing life, and in practical contexts about livelihood or cost of living.
Caution
For everyday meanings like “my life” or “daily life,” ชีวิต is usually the natural choice. For “occupation” or “profession,” use อาชีพ, not ชีพ by itself.
Differences from similar words
1 life synonyms
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ชีวิต is the everyday word for life, including someone’s life, lifestyle, or living situation. ชีพ is more formal and is commonly used in set expressions rather than casual speech.
2 livelihood synonyms
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อาชีพ is the normal word for occupation or profession. ชีพ alone is not normally used to mean someone’s job; use อาชีพ for that meaning.