Art vocabulary in Thai is a highly expansive topic! We’re gonna try and narrow that down a little today and talk about the visual arts, i.e., painting and sculpture. But why learn art vocabulary in Thai? Well, as Picasso himself said. ‘“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Let’s start with a few basics:
- Art (Ṣ̄ilpa) — ศิลปะ
- Color (S̄ī) — สี
- Gallery (Kæl l xrī̀) — แกลลอรี่, ห้องแสดงผลงานศิลปะ
Learning Thai with Ling is your only real option for studying on an app. There are few others out there, but they are nowhere near amassing 10 million downloads like Ling. The same is true not just of Thai but other languages too. Ling specializes in shining a light on those smaller languages. Excited? Let’s get to it!
Art Vocabulary In Thai — The Basics
When talking about art, there are some words to know in Thai to start at least a basic conversation or discussion.
| English | Thai | Thai Script |
|---|---|---|
| Art | Ṣ̄ilpa | ศิลปะ |
| Brush | Pærng | แปรง |
| Chalk | Chxl̒k | ชอล์ก |
| Clay | Din h̄enīyw | ดินเหนียว |
| Color | S̄ī | สี |
| Crayon | Dins̄x s̄ī | ดินสอสี |
| Cut | Tạd | ตัด |
| Draw | Wād | วาด |
| Easel | K̄hā tậng | ขาตั้ง |
| Finger Paint | S̄ī thā nîw | สีทานิ้ว |
| Gallery | Kæl lex rī̀ | แกลเลอรี่ |
| Marker | Kherụ̄̀xngh̄māy | เครื่องหมาย |
| Mold | Cheụ̄̂xrā | เชื้อรา |
| Painting | Citrkrrm | จิตรกรรม |
| Paste | Pæa | แปะ |
| Palette | Cān s̄ī | จานสี |
| Scissors | Krrkịr | กรรไกร |
| Sculpture | Pratimākrrm | ประติมากรรม |
| Smock | S̄m̆xkh | สม็อค |
Art Vocabulary In Thai- Questions To Start A Conversation
Picture the scene. You’ve just arrived in Bangkok and found yourself at the Bangkok Art And Cultural Centre. A Thai person comes up to you and asks in Thai what you think of the art. Much to your disappointment and theirs, you must remain mute because you didn’t study phrases to talk about art in Thai. Check out this list to stop that from happening.
| English | Thai | Thai Script |
|---|---|---|
| Are you an artist? | Khuṇ pĕn ṣ̄ilpin h̄rụ̄x pel̀ā? | คุณเป็นศิลปินหรือเปล่า? |
| Can you tell me who the artist is? | Ch̀wy bxk h̄ǹxy dị̂ h̄ịm ẁā khır pĕn ṣ̄ilpin? | ช่วยบอกหน่อยได้ไหมว่าใครเป็นศิลปิน? |
| Do you know when this was painted? | Khuṇ rū̂ h̄ịm ẁā nī̀ wād meụ̄̀xrị? | คุณรู้ไหมว่านี่วาดเมื่อไร? |
| Do you know the name of the artist? | Khuṇ rū̂ chụ̄̀x ṣ̄ilpin h̄ịm? | คุณรู้ชื่อศิลปินไหม? |
| Do you prefer painting or sculpture? | Khuṇ chxb p̣hāph wād h̄rụ̄x pratimākrrm mākkẁā kạn pherāa h̄etu dı? | คุณชอบภาพวาดหรือประติมากรรมมากกว่ากัน เพราะเหตุใด? |
| How long has this museum been open? | Phiphiṭhp̣hạṇṯh̒ h̄æ̀ng nī̂ peid mā nān khæ̀ h̄ịn læ̂w? | พิพิธภัณฑ์แห่งนี้เปิดมานานแค่ไหนแล้ว? |
| How much is this painting? | P̣hāph wād nī̂ rākhā thèā h̄ịr̀ kha? | ภาพวาดนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่คะ? |
| Is this a Picasso? | Nī̀ khụ̄x pikạs̄ so chı̀ h̄ịm? | นี่คือปิกัสโซใช่ไหม? |
| When does the museum close? | Phiphiṭhp̣hạṇṯh̒ pid meụ̄̀x h̄ịr̀? | พิพิธภัณฑ์ปิดเมื่อไหร่? |
| Where is the modern art gallery? | H̄x ṣ̄ilp̒ s̄mạyh̄ım̀ xyū̀ thī̀h̄ịn | หอศิลป์สมัยใหม่อยู่ที่ไหน |
Replying To Questions In Thai About Art
| English | Thai | Thai Script |
|---|---|---|
| No. I’m just visiting the museum. | Mị̀ c̄hạn khæ̀ pị yeī̀ym chm phiphiṭhp̣hạṇṯh̒ | ไม่ ฉันแค่ไปเยี่ยมชมพิพิธภัณฑ์ |
| The artist is Velasquez. | Ṣ̄ilpin khụ̄x welā kes | ศิลปินคือเวลาเกซ |
| This was painted in 1987. | P̣hāph nī̂ wād meụ̄̀x pī 1987 | ภาพนี้วาดเมื่อปี 1987 |
| I prefer sculpture. | C̄hạn chxb pratimākrrm mākkẁā | ฉันชอบประติมากรรมมากกว่า |
| The museum opened in 2010. | Phiphiṭhp̣hạṇṯh̒ peid nı pī 2010 | พิพิธภัณฑ์เปิดในปี 2010 |
| This painting isn’t for sale. | P̣hāph wād nī̂ mị̀ dị̂ k̄hāy | ภาพวาดนี้ไม่ได้ขาย |
| Yes this is a Picasso. | Chı̀ læ̂w nī̀ khụ̄x pikạs̄ so | ใช่แล้ว นี่คือปิกัสโซ |
| The museum closes at 7 PM. | Phiphiṭhp̣hạṇṯh̒ pid thảkār welā 19.00 N. | พิพิธภัณฑ์ปิดทำการเวลา 19.00 น. |
| The modern art gallery is at Chatuchak, Bangkok | H̄x ṣ̄ilp̒ s̄mạyh̄ım̀ xyū̀ thī̀ ctucạkr krungtheph‡ | หอศิลป์สมัยใหม่อยู่ที่จตุจักร กรุงเทพฯ |
What Is A Popular Form Of Art In Thailand?
When people ask this question, they usually get a formulaic answer, but Ling prefers to break the mold!
Of course, Thailand has fantastic examples of sculptures depicting the Indian epics. People rave about the difference between the North and the South and how this building in Chiang Mai is a fabulous example of Lanna architecture, but we want to bring you something a little different, and that’s kae sa luk or fruit carving.
Next time you visit Bangkok, make sure to go in late September when it’s the official time of the Thailand International Culinary Cup. (2023 will be the 23rd installment, although the traditional practice goes back hundreds of years).
Competitors take Thai fruits like watermelons and pineapples and transform them into all sorts of weird and wonderful things. The events are usually live, and a time limit is set for competitors to complete their creations.
After watching many videos of these events, there seems to be something extremely meditative about the practice, and undoubtedly it must feel good to get ‘hands-on’ with nature in such a way. Perhaps we might see it sweep the west. I’m sure it would please pumpkin sellers who are only in the money for a few weeks a year!
Also, it might not have the prestige of ancient Thai art, but at least if you’re not happy with your creation, you could always eat it.
Learn Thai With Ling
Ling is far more than just a basic translation app for Thai words that provides a definition and nothing else.
Ling takes a 360-degree view of the Thai language, incorporating history, culture, and that indefinable Thainess that makes the land of elephants such a magical place to visit.
The Ling app covers all bases, from vocabulary in context to listening to speaking and writing; it is the most comprehensive package you will find on the internet.
My advice is to do a 7-day free trial and see if you vibe with the app. After that, the longer you commit, the cheaper it becomes. A lifetime subscription, including all future iterations of Ling, is very reasonably priced at $149.99. Interested to learn more? Download the app now on the Play Store or App Store.
As always, if you liked this blog, think about checking out a few others, such as countries near Thailand and flowers in Thailand.
