Daily Thai Confidence: Using เพื่อน (phêuan)

Noun: เพื่อน (p^hêuan)
Meaning: friend

In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the noun เพื่อน (p^hêuan), which means ‘friend’. It refers to someone with whom you have a personal relationship based on familiarity, trust, or shared experiences.

The word เพื่อน (p^hêuan) can appear with other words to describe types of friends, such as:

• เพื่อนสนิท (p^hêuan sà-^hnìd) = close friend
• เพื่อนร่วมงาน (p^hêuan rûam ngāan) = colleague / coworker
• เพื่อนบ้าน (p^hêuan bâan) = neighbour
• เพื่อนร่วมชั้น (p^hêuan rûam chán) = classmate

For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-^awyàang chên)

k^hǎo bpēn p^hêuan k^hǎwng-chǎn
Literal: He to be friend belonging to-me.
He is my friend.

The linking verb เป็น (bpēn) means ‘to be’. It is often used to link the subject with a noun, profession, or role — subject + เป็น (bpēn) + noun (that describes role or identity)

nêe k^hēu p^hêuan k^hǎwng-p^hǒm
Literal: He to be friend belonging to-me.
This is my friend.

The linking verb คือ (k^hēu) means ‘to be’. It is used to define, identify, or explain what something is — A + คือ (k^hēu) + B.

chǎn jà bpāi gīn-k^hâow gàb p^hêuan k^hēun-née
Literal: I will go eat-rice with friend night-this.
I am going to have dinner with friends tonight.

The verb phrase กินข้าว (gīn-k^hâow) means ‘to eat a meal’ or ‘to eat’. It is often used in everyday conversation to refer to having a meal in general, even if the food being eaten is not rice.

k^hǎo nád jēuh gàb p^hêuan ^hlǎng lêuhk ngāan
Literal: He arrange to meet with friend after finish work.
He arranged to meet a friend after work.

The verb นัด (nád) means ‘to arrange’ or ‘to make an appointment’ to meet someone at a specific time or place. It refers to a planned meeting between people.

Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.

1. I have many friends.
2. Her friend lives in Bangkok.
3. He went on holiday with friends.
4. I met an old friend at the market this morning.
5. They have been friends for a long time.

About Post Author

Urai Khomkham

Hi, I’m Urai Khomkham, a Thai language teacher and the creator of Thai Language Tuition UK. I help learners understand how Thai really works, so they can stop guessing and start feeling confident using the language in real life. Inside the community, I share clear lessons, practical explanations, and gentle guidance to support steady, meaningful progress — without pressure or overwhelm. I also share free Thai lessons and learning tips on my YouTube channel, where I break things down step by step and help you build strong foundations at your own pace. By subscribing, you’re not only supporting your own learning — you’re also helping me continue creating free resources to support you and other learners on their Thai journey.

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