Generally, Thais respect and adore each other a lot; hence, they have different words used for complimenting and expressing their fondness for other individuals. One of such words is “Chan Rak Khun”. But what does this phrase mean in the English language? Besides, how can you use it for people?
Chan Rak Khun simply means “I love you”. Therefore, it is the most common phrase for expressing love to another person. However, it is usually used by females; hence, you should note that there is a male version of this phrase.
It is noteworthy that this phrase often sounds too formal to most Thais. Hence, many individuals prefer to use other alternative phrases for saying “I love you” to people in Thailand. In this post, we will look at the alternative phrases used for expressing love in the Land of Smiles.
The breakdown of Chan Rak Khun
As noted by Ling-App.com, the way of saying “I love you” in the Thai language is quite similar to the English language. Basically, you are meant to use three simple words as you do in the English language. However, like many other phrases and clauses in the Thai language, this particular phrase is gendered. In other words, females and males say “I love you” differently in the Thai language.
I – Chan (but this is only used by females when talking in the Thai language). Instead, males will say “Pom” for “I”.
Love – Rak
You – Khun
Given this, if you are a female and want to say “I love you” in the Thai language, you will use the phrase “Chan Rak Khun”. On the other hand, a male will say “Pom rak khun” to mean the same thing.
Informal ways of saying I love you in the Thai language
In general, Chan rak khun is the easiest and most basic way of using the phrase “I love you” in the Thai language. However, it should be noted that “chan rak khun” is considered too formal by many Thais, except when it is used in some special contexts. In fact, it is usually used by two people when they are not too familiar with each other.
So, if you would like to say “I love you” in the Thai language to a close friend or a family member, you should rather use other informal means of saying it. By utilizing the informal means, you will make the discussion more personal than just saying “Chan rak khun” or “pom rak khun”.
As stated by learnthaifromawhiteguy.com, here are some of the informal ways of telling someone you love them in the Thai language:
- Khun su-ay (mak) – you are (very) beautiful
- Khun narak – you are cute
- Phom/Chan khit-theung khun – I miss you
If you say any of these phrases to Thais, they already understand that you are trying to express your love or fondness for them. Hence, you can use any of the aforementioned sentences to say you love someone.
It should be understood that Thais respect people a lot based on their age or social ranking. Therefore, if you are talking to an older or higher-ranked individual, you can add a word to any of the informal phrases above to make it more polite and acceptable.
- Add “kha” for a female e.g. Khun su-ay kha
- Add “khrap” for a male e.g. khun narak khrap
With the additional word, you can say “I love you” to your parent, elderly people, boss, etc. without sounding rude.
Can a foreigner say “Chan rak khun”?
Of course, if you are a foreigner, you can say “Chan rak khun” or its male version to anyone without any backlash. Since the phrase is formal, most locals will not take any offense in the phrase. However, if you are talking to a close friend, it is better to use one of the aforementioned alternative ways of saying “I love you” in the Thai language.
Regardless of the specific phrase you use for saying “I love you” in the Thai language, you can rest assured that you will not encounter any issues. So, go ahead and say whenever you want.
Endearing Thai words to use for some you love
Like other people around the world, Thais have some specific words usually used for loved ones. These words are for endearment; hence, they are normally used between lovers, parents, siblings, and other loved ones.
Below, we will highlight some of the words you can use to call someone you love according to thaizer.com.
- Fan – boyfriend or girlfriend
- Husband – samee (formal word) or poouh (informal word)
- Wife – pharayah (formal word) or mia (informal word)
- Tee rak – darling
- Waan Jai – sweetheart
- Jai – heart
- Khawaam rak –love (as a noun)
- Ja – dear
Tips for a romantic relationship as a foreigner in Thailand
A foreigner in Thailand can have a romantic relationship with a Thai man or woman. No law prohibits farangs (foreigners) from dating or marrying Thais. Nonetheless, you must be aware of the stereotype associated with dating foreigners in Thailand. It is often assumed that Thai ladies only date farangs because of money. But you should note that this is not always true.
Regardless, you should always play safe when having intercourse with anyone. Beware of various sexually transmitted diseases. Also, don’t compete with the locals to win the heart of any girl in Thailand as this can lead to violence. So, stay safe as you get involved in a romantic relationship in this Southeast Asian country.
Conclusion
From the information, you now understand that the phrase “chan rak khun” means “I love you” from a female perspective. A male, on the other hand, will say “pom rak khun”. However, the phrase is formal; hence, it is not usually used between two lovers or close friends. Instead of this formal phrase, several alternative informal ways of saying “I love you” have been provided in this article. Therefore, you should no longer have any issue with expressing how you feel in the Thai language again.
