นักดนตรี

Explanation

นักดนตรี is formed from นัก, which indicates a person engaged or skilled in an activity, and ดนตรี, meaning “music.” Its basic image is therefore “a person who makes or performs music.” It is often used for professional musicians, but it can also describe amateur players when the context allows. It is a neutral, standard term suitable for conversation, introductions, job advertisements, and news reports. As a noun referring to people, it is counted with คน: นักดนตรีสามคน means “three musicians.”

Usage

It is commonly used when discussing someone’s occupation or career goals, introducing members of a band or ensemble, or referring to people who perform at concerts, recording sessions, restaurants, and similar venues.

Caution

ดนตรี means music itself, while นักดนตรี refers to a person. When the intended meaning is specifically “singer,” นักร้อง is normally used. นักดนตรี often suggests an instrumental musician and does not refer to artists working in nonmusical fields.

1 musician synonyms

• ผู้บรรเลงดนตรี

  ผู้บรรเลงดนตรี is a more descriptive and somewhat formal term for someone who performs instrumental music. นักดนตรี is the ordinary general word used for a musician in a wider range of contexts.