ศาล
court
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 court、court of law、tribunal
- 2 shrine、spirit house
- 3 [classifier for courts and shrines]
ศาล refers either to a court of law or to a shrine/spirit house. In both uses, it points to an authoritative or respected place people go to for judgment, worship, or ritual attention.
court、court of law、tribunal
This means a court of law: the public institution or place where legal cases are heard and judgments are made.
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ขึ้นศาล khʉ̂n sǎan to appear in court ขึ้นศาล details
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ยื่นฟ้องต่อศาล yʉ̂ʉn fɔ́ɔŋ tɔ̀ɔ sǎan to file a lawsuit with the court ยื่นฟ้องต่อศาล details
shrine、spirit house
This means a shrine or spirit house: a place where spirits, guardian deities, ancestors, or local gods are worshipped.
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ศาลพระภูมิ sǎan phrá phuumí a spirit house for the guardian spirit of the land ศาลพระภูมิ details
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ไปไหว้ศาลเจ้า pay wâay sǎan câw to go worship at a shrine ไปไหว้ศาลเจ้า details
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ศาลหลักเมือง sǎan làkmʉaŋ the city pillar shrine ศาลหลักเมือง details
[classifier for courts and shrines]
ศาล can also function as a classifier for courts and shrines, though other classifiers may be chosen depending on whether the speaker is thinking of a place or a building.
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ศาลพระภูมิหนึ่งศาล sǎan phrá phuumí nʉ̀ŋ sǎan one spirit house ศาลพระภูมิหนึ่งศาล details
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ศาลสองศาล sǎan sɔ̌ɔŋ sǎan two courts/shrines ศาลสองศาล details
Learning notes
Explanation
ศาล is best learned with two core meanings: a court of law and a shrine or spirit house. In legal contexts it appears in phrases such as ศาลตัดสิน “the court rules,” ขึ้นศาล “appear in court,” and ฟ้องศาล “sue in court.” In religious or cultural contexts it often appears in compounds such as ศาลพระภูมิ “spirit house,” ศาลเจ้า “shrine,” and ศาลหลักเมือง “city pillar shrine.” The surrounding words usually make the intended meaning clear.
Usage
Use it for legal news, lawsuits, trials, judgments, and legal disputes when it means “court.” Use it in contexts involving worship, city shrines, household spirit houses, offerings, or visits to shrines when it means “shrine” or “spirit house.”
Caution
By itself, ศาล is context-dependent: it may mean either “court” or “shrine.” Do not use วัด as a general replacement for shrine; วัด specifically refers to a Buddhist temple.
Differences from similar words
1 court synonyms
2 shrine synonyms
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วัด means a Buddhist temple. ศาล means a shrine or spirit house and does not refer to an entire Buddhist temple.
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ศาลเจ้า is a compound for a shrine, often a Chinese-style shrine. ศาล by itself is broader and can mean a shrine in general or a court of law depending on context.
3 [classifier for courts and shrines] synonyms
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หลัง counts buildings, so it can be used when treating a shrine as a small structure. ศาล counts the shrine itself.
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แห่ง is a general classifier for places and institutions, so it works naturally for counting courts as locations. ศาล as a classifier repeats the noun itself when counting courts or shrines.