Ouch! You’ve just hurt yourself in a strange but amazing country; Thailand. How can you communicate in the Thai language where you’ve hurt yourself? Imagine not being able to express yourself in an emergency situation properly! Medical reasons are just one important motive for learning the parts of the body in Thai.
So, if you are living in Thailand, or you will visit the country soon, get ready with this essential vocabulary that will not only increase your language skills but also ease your daily life during your stay in the country.
Let’s get going and learn the parts of the body in Thai!
Table of Contents
Parts Of The Body In Thai: The Head
Note that the name of a body part in Thai doesn’t change if it’s plural. For example, ear and ears will be the same word. To refer to which ear, you would commonly point or say right ear (หูขวา / hǔu kwǎa) or left ear (หูซ้าย / hǔu sáai). It is the same for all other plural body parts.
Also, note that culturally, the head is considered a special, almost sacred part of the body. You’re not supposed to touch other people’s heads or hair. The exception to this rule is children.
When visiting Thailand, it’s quite common for strangers to walk up to your child and start lovingly touching their head and hair.
For Thais, this is considered good luck as, apparently, children are full of it!
It’s also acceptable for close family members in Thailand to touch or kiss each other’s heads. It usually only happens during Mother’s Day or very special family occasions. Or in times of extreme emotion.
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheek/cheeks | แก้ม | gɛ̂ɛm | |
| Chin | คาง | kaang | |
| Ear/ears | หู | hǔu | |
| Eye/eyes | ตา | dtaa | |
| Eyebrow/eyebrows | คิ้ว | kíu | |
| Face | ใบหน้า | bai nâa | |
| Forehead | หน้าผาก | nâa pàak | |
| Hair | ผม | pǒm | |
| Head | ศีรษะ | sǐi sà | |
| Jaw | กราม | graam | |
| Mouth | ปาก | bpàak | |
| Nose | จมูก | jà mùuk |
Facial And Body Hair
The Thai language has different words for each different type of body hair, so you need to be rather specific about which hair you’re talking about.
Most Thai men don’t have facial hair, but they get a kick out of yours! That means that there aren’t many barbers in Thailand, and if you go to one, you need to know what to ask for.
Otherwise, the most common thing a barber will do is shave off your beard!
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm hair | ขนแขน | kǒn kɛ̌ɛn | |
| Beard hair | หนวดเครา | nùat krao | |
| Ear hair | ขนหู | kǒn hǔu | |
| Eyebrow hair | ขนคิ้ว | kǒn kíu | |
| Eyelashes | ขนตา | kǒn dtaa | |
| Hair on head | ผม | pǒm | |
| Leg hair | ขนขา | kǒn kǎa | |
| Mustache hair | หนวดเครา | nùat krao | |
| Mustache | หนวด | nùat | |
| Nose | จมูก | jà mùuk | |
| Public hair | ขนหัวหน่าว | kǒn hǔa nàao |
The Mouth
These terms will come in handy if you visit a Thai dentist. Most dentists speak English, but just in case, it’s good to know the names of the parts of the mouth.
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lips | ริมฝีปาก | rim fǐi bpàak | |
| Teeth/tooth | ฟัน | fan | |
| Tongue | ลิ้น | lín |
Parts Of The Body In Thai: The Upper Body
Useful to know when visiting a clinic or hospital in Thailand, these words are all about the upper body.
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdomen | หน้าท้อง | nâa tɔ́ɔng | |
| Breasts (formal) | หน้าอก | nâa òk | |
| Breasts (slang) | นม | nom | |
| Chest | หน้าอก | nâa òk | |
| Neck | คอ | kɔɔ | |
| Nipples | หัวนม | hǔa nom | |
| Chest | หน้าอก | nâa òk | |
| Shoulders | ไหล่ | lài | |
| Stomach/belly | ท้อง | tɔ́ɔng | |
| Waist | เอว | eeo | |
| Bellybutton | ปุ่มท้อง | bpùm tɔ́ɔng |
Arms And Hands
When talking about anything related to your upper body limbs, use these words below:
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm/arms | แขน | kɛ̌ɛn | |
| Elbow/elbows | ข้อศอก | kɔ̂ɔ sɔ̀ɔk | |
| Finger/fingers | นิ้ว | níu | |
| Hand/hands | มือ | mʉʉ | |
| Lower arm/forearm | แขนท่อนล่าง | kɛ̌ɛn tɔ̂ɔn lâang | |
| Nail/nails | เล็บมือ | lép mʉʉ | |
| Thumb/thumbs | นิ้วหัวแม่มือ | níu hǔa mɛ̂ɛ mʉʉ | |
| Upper arm | ต้นแขน | dtôn kɛ̌ɛn |
Parts Of The Body In Thai: The Lower Body
Well, these are the ‘fun’ words! It may be necessary to know this vocabulary for personal reasons if you need to visit a doctor (for concerns down there).
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bum/butt/bottom | ก้น | gôn | |
| Hip/hips | สะโพก | sà pôok | |
| Pelvis | กระดูกเชิงกราน | grà dùuk chəəng graan | |
| Penis (formal) | องคชาต | ong ká châat | |
| Penis (nickname) | จู๋ | jǔu | |
| Penis (nickname – little brother) | น้องชาย | nɔ́ɔng chaai | |
| Vagina (formal) | ช่องคลอด | chɔ̂ɔng klɔ̂ɔt | |
| Vagina (nickname) | จิ๋ม | jǐm | |
| Vagina (nickname – little sister) | น้องสาว | nɔ́ɔng sǎao | |
| Vagina (nickname – sister) | ปิ๊ | bpí |
Legs And Feet
The lower part of the body is where most people are typically hurt due to driving motorbikes in Thailand. It happens to everyone once, and it’s one of the most famous Thai tattoo (a severe burn on your calf from the motorbike exhaust).
These words are also useful for a Thai foot massage, which usually involves the whole leg. You can use this vocabulary to ask the masseuse to focus on or avoid certain areas.
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankle/ankles | ข้อเท้า | kɔ̂ɔ táao | |
| Calf/calves | ขาท่อนล่าง | kǎa tɔ̂ɔn lâang | |
| Foot/feet | เท้า | táao | |
| Knee/knees | เข่า | kào | |
| Thigh/thighs | ต้นขา | dtôn kǎa | |
| Toe/toes | นิ้วเท้า | níu táao |
Did you know, aside from these body parts, you can even learn the bones of the human body in Thai too? That’s quite a vocabulary list you’re building up!
How Do You Say ‘Body Part’ In Thai?
The word for ‘body part’ in Thai is sùan kɔ̌ɔng râang gaai (ส่วนของร่างกาย) .
Frequently Asked Questions About Parts Of The Body In Thai
1. How Do You Say If Something ‘Hurts’ In Thai?
The word for ‘hurt’ in Thai is jèp (เจ็บ). If something hurts, you add the word jèp (เจ็บ) after the body part that hurts. For example, kɛ̌ɛn jèp (แขนเจ็บ) means ‘arm hurts’.
2. What Does ‘Nong Sao’ Mean In Thai?
‘Nong sao’ means ‘little sister’ in Thai, but is also slang term for ‘vagina’. Only use word this in the right contexts!
3. How Do You Say Body Parts In Thai?
Some notable body parts in Thai are sǐi sà (ศีรษะ), nâa òk (หน้าอก), kɛ̌ɛn (แขน), and táao (เท้า). These terms mean head, chest, arms, and feet, respectively. To learn more related Thai phrases and vocabulary, check out the Ling app!
Now You’re All Set!
If you’re ever hurt, such as in a motorcycle accident (which is a very common occurrence in Thailand, by the way), you’ll need to be able to communicate to the paramedics exactly where you are hurt or feel pain. In that case, use the words about the parts of the body in Thai to do so.
In addition, knowing the vocabulary for body parts in Thai can also help you if you find yourself in a romantic situation. Being able to talk clearly about wants and needs related in the bedroom is essential to having a good time!
Another reason it’s so important to know common words, such as the names of the body parts in Thai, is to help you communicate during a Thai massage. Knowing the Thai names for body parts will help you decide which kind of massage you’d like. This knowledge can also aid during a massage when you may want the masseuse to focus on or avoid a certain area of your body, and can help in many other situations outside of that too!
