thai

n. C / U

A1 Beginner US //ˈtaɪ// thai

Definition

n. the language spoken in Thailand, or a person who comes from that country.

n. the official language of Thailand, belonging to the Kra-Dai language family; also used to refer to a person of Thai nationality or descent.

SIMPLE

I am learning how to speak Thai for my holiday.

CONTEXTUAL

The restaurant is owned by a Thai family who moved to the city ten years ago.

COMPLEX

While many regional dialects exist across the country, Central Thai serves as the standard for education, government, and national media.

Origin

Borrowed from Thai ไทย (tai). Doublet of Tai and Dai.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the language; countable when referring to people from Thailand.

Last updated May 2, 2026