หล่อน
she
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 she、her
- 2 you [addressing a younger or lower-status woman]
A personal pronoun referring to a woman. It mainly means “she” or “her” in written Thai, but it can also be an old-fashioned way of addressing a younger or lower-status woman.
she、her
Refers to a woman being discussed as “she” or “her,” especially in narrative and other written contexts.
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ฉันเจอหล่อนเมื่อวานนี้ chǎn cəə lɔ̀ɔn mʉ̂a waan níi I saw her yesterday. ฉันเจอหล่อนเมื่อวานนี้ details
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หล่อนบอกว่าจะมา lɔ̀ɔn bɔ̀ɔk wâa cà maa She said she would come. หล่อนบอกว่าจะมา details
you [addressing a younger or lower-status woman]
Addresses a female listener as “you.” Traditionally, it is used by an older or higher-status speaker toward a younger or lower-status woman and is not a neutral modern form of address.
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หล่อนมานี่สิ lɔ̀ɔn maa nîi sì You, come here. หล่อนมานี่สิ details
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หล่อนพูดอะไรน่ะ lɔ̀ɔn phûut aray nâ What did you say? หล่อนพูดอะไรน่ะ details
Learning notes
Explanation
หล่อน is a feminine pronoun with both third-person and second-person uses. In the third person, it means “she” or “her.” Although it clearly identifies the person as female, everyday conversation more often uses the gender-neutral เขา, the person’s name, a title, or a kinship term. หล่อน is especially associated with novels and narrative writing. Its form does not change between subject and object positions. In the second person, it traditionally means “you” when an older or higher-status person addresses a younger or lower-status woman. This use now sounds old-fashioned and may come across as commanding, theatrical, or reproachful depending on the context.
Usage
The third-person use appears mainly in novels, stories, subtitles, and translated writing when referring to a female character. The second-person use may occur in older dialogue or in scenes deliberately conveying hierarchy or a forceful attitude.
Caution
Do not automatically use หล่อน whenever English uses “she” or “her”; เขา is often more natural in conversation. หล่อน also does not mean “girlfriend”—use แฟน or แฟนสาว for that meaning. Avoid using it as a neutral “you” when speaking directly to a woman.
Differences from similar words
1 she synonyms
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เขา refers to a third person of any gender and is much more common in everyday conversation. หล่อน specifically refers to a woman and is more characteristic of narrative writing.
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เธอ commonly means “you” when addressing someone familiar and can also mean “she” in writing. หล่อน is explicitly feminine in the third person and tends to sound more narrative.