นัก
person who does or practices something [forms agent nouns]
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 person who does or practices something [forms agent nouns]、practitioner、professional
- 2 very、extremely、not very [with a negative]
It commonly combines with another word to name a person involved in an activity or field. It can also intensify a description, meaning “very” or, after a negative, “not very.”
person who does or practices something [forms agent nouns]、practitioner、professional
It is placed before an activity or field to form a word for a person who does it or is involved in it.
-
นักเรียน nákrian student นักเรียน details
-
นักเขียน nákkhǐan writer นักเขียน details
Show more (2)
-
เขาเป็นนักฟุตบอล khǎw pen nák fút bɔɔn He is a soccer player. เขาเป็นนักฟุตบอล details
-
นักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติ nákthɔ̂ɔŋthîaw tàaŋchâat foreign tourist นักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติ details
very、extremely、not very [with a negative]
It follows a description to emphasize a high degree. With a negative, it commonly softens the statement to mean “not very” or “not particularly.”
-
วันนี้อากาศร้อนนัก wan níi aakàat rɔ́ɔn nák It is extremely hot today. วันนี้อากาศร้อนนัก details
Learning notes
Explanation
นัก has two main uses: forming names for people and intensifying descriptions. To name a person, it combines with a word for an activity, skill, or field. For example, นักเขียน refers to a writer, while นักฟุตบอล refers to a soccer player. The natural English translation varies by compound: it may be “writer,” “player,” “specialist,” “enthusiast,” or another specific term. As an intensifier, นัก follows the word or phrase it modifies, as in ร้อนนัก, “extremely hot.” The pattern ไม่…นัก is especially useful and commonly means “not very” or “not particularly,” making a negative statement less absolute.
Usage
The person-forming use appears widely in discussions of education, occupations, sports, the arts, hobbies, and travel. Common examples include นักเรียน “student” in introductions and นักท่องเที่ยว “tourist” in news or travel information. The intensifying use appears when emphasizing an evaluation or condition. In modern conversation, it is especially common in the pattern ไม่…นัก when describing something as “not very” or “not particularly” a certain way.
Caution
The person-forming นัก cannot be added freely to every verb or noun. It is safest to learn established compounds individually. Also, นักเรียน broadly refers to a school student; นักศึกษา is normally used when specifically referring to a university student. Do not treat affirmative นัก as completely interchangeable with มาก in every context. Frequent use can sound overly emphatic or somewhat literary, though ไม่…นัก is common and natural.
Differences from similar words
1 person who does or practices something [forms agent nouns] synonyms
-
ผู้ also comes before a verb or other expression to mean “a person who…,” and is widely used for roles and participants. นัก is especially common in established names for professions, skilled practitioners, and people regularly engaged in an activity.