นักเรียน

Explanation

นักเรียน is formed from นัก, an element referring to a person engaged in an activity, and เรียน, “to study” or “to attend class.” It can therefore be understood literally as “a person who studies.” It is the standard term for primary- and secondary-school students. It can also refer to a student taught by an instructor at a language school or another type of class. The form does not change for gender or number. When students are counted, the classifier คน is used, as in นักเรียนสามคน, “three students.”

Usage

Commonly used in primary and secondary schools when discussing pupils, attendance, class size, grades, uniforms, and other aspects of school life. Teachers also use it for members of their class, and it may describe someone taking lessons at a language school or similar course.

Caution

Do not use นักเรียน automatically for every kind of “student.” University and graduate students are normally called นักศึกษา. Also, เรียน is the verb “to study” or “to attend class,” whereas นักเรียน is a noun referring to the person who studies.

1 school student synonyms

• นักศึกษา

  nák sʉ̀ksǎa university student

  นักศึกษา refers mainly to a student at a university or another higher-education institution. นักเรียน is normally used for a primary- or secondary-school student.

• ผู้เรียน

  ผู้เรียน is the broader term “learner” and does not specify an age or type of institution. นักเรียน more concretely suggests a student enrolled in a school or attending a class.