a crazy person
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 a crazy person、a mentally unstable person [derogatory]
- 2 a lunatic、an idiot、someone out of their mind
A direct, emotionally charged term for someone seen as far outside normal behavior. Depending on context, it can mean a “crazy person,” someone acting recklessly.
a crazy person、a mentally unstable person [derogatory]
Refers to someone the speaker considers mentally unstable. It is an everyday but blunt and potentially demeaning label, not a neutral medical term.
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เขากลายเป็นคนบ้าไปแล้ว khǎw klaay pen khon bâa pay lɛ́ɛw He has lost his mind. เขากลายเป็นคนบ้าไปแล้ว details
a lunatic、an idiot、someone out of their mind
Describes someone behaving absurdly, recklessly, or beyond common sense, without necessarily saying anything about their actual mental health.
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คนบ้า! พูดอะไรอย่างนั้น khon bâa phûut aray yàaŋ nán You idiot! How could you say that? คนบ้า! พูดอะไรอย่างนั้น details
Learning notes
Explanation
คนบ้า is formed from คน (“person”) and บ้า (“crazy,” “extreme,” or “obsessed”). Its central image is a person perceived as being far outside what is normal. By itself, it usually has a negative meaning such as “a crazy person” or “someone out of their mind.” In the pattern คนบ้า + an interest, it describes someone obsessed with that subject. For example, คนบ้าบอล is a soccer fanatic, while คนบ้ากาแฟ is someone who is crazy about coffee. When addressed playfully to a close friend or partner, คนบ้า! can resemble “You idiot!” said with affection or embarrassment. In an angry tone, however, the same words become a serious insult. As a noun referring to a person, it takes the human classifier คน, as in คนบ้าคนหนึ่ง, “one crazy person.”
Usage
It is common in everyday speech when criticizing behavior that seems absurd or dangerously reckless. It also appears as playful teasing between close people and in the pattern คนบ้า + an interest for an obsessive fan or enthusiast. Tone, facial expression, and the relationship between speakers strongly affect how it is understood.
Caution
Avoid using คนบ้า as a label for someone with a mental illness; it is demeaning and can reinforce stigma. In a neutral context, use an appropriate expression such as ผู้ป่วยทางจิตเวช (“psychiatric patient”). Even when intended as playful teasing, it is risky with strangers, acquaintances, or people of higher status. Adding ไอ้, as in ไอ้คนบ้า, usually makes the insult considerably rougher and more aggressive.
Differences from similar words
1 a crazy person synonyms
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คนวิกลจริต is a formal, somewhat dated term for a person considered mentally disordered. คนบ้า is much more conversational, direct, and emotionally charged.