นิมนต์

Inviting a Monk

Level 5

Use นิมนต์ to invite a Buddhist monk in these examples. It identifies the monk-invitation register; this lesson does not make every use of เชิญ intrinsically impolite.

How It Works

นิมนต์ can introduce an invitation to a monk or identify the monks being invited.

  • Named Invitees: The second example names the monks and then gives their visit and midday meal.
  • Direct Address: The first example addresses หลวงพ่อ and continues with a request to sit inside first. The subject and addressee need not both appear as separate nouns.
  • Requested Action: The third example specifies nine monks and the chanting requested. This does not make nine a required number for every ceremony.

The final written ต carries ์; see the linked silent-marker entry. The linked register overview gives broader context. Register choices depend on the address and setting; this lesson does not establish a universal offence rule or a rigid subject-title-action formula.

Examples (3)

  1. นิมนต์ครับหลวงพ่อ นั่งข้างในก่อนครับ

    Please, Luang Phor, sit inside first.

    Word by Word: Please/invite [polite particle] Luang Phor, sit inside first [polite particle]

    นิมนต์ introduces a courteous invitation addressed to Luang Phor. นั่งข้างในก่อน asks him to sit inside first; it does not itself say to enter first or go ahead of someone else.

  2. คุณแม่นิมนต์พระสงฆ์มาฉันเพลที่บ้าน

    Mother invites the monks to the house for their midday meal.

    Word by Word: Mother invite monks come take-midday-meal at house

    คุณแม่ names the inviter, พระสงฆ์ the monks, and มาฉันเพลที่บ้าน their coming to the house for a midday meal. The sentence has no separate past-tense marker. ฉันเพล supplies the monk-related meal wording here.

  3. นิมนต์พระสงฆ์ ๙ รูปมาเจริญพระพุทธมนต์

    Invite nine monks to chant Buddhist prayers.

    Word by Word: Invite monk 9 [classifier] come chant Buddhist-prayers

    The invitation names nine monks using ๙ รูป and asks them to come chant Buddhist prayers. The number belongs to this sentence; it is not a rule about all religious invitations.

Common Mistakes

  • Choosing the invitation verb for the monk-address register practiced here.

    เชิญหลวงพ่อดื่มน้ำครับ
    นิมนต์หลวงพ่อดื่มน้ำครับ

    Choose นิมนต์ for this exercise, which practices a monk-invitation convention. Both retained sentences address หลวงพ่อ and request drinking water; the contrast here is the invitation verb alone. เชิญ is not thereby declared ungrammatical or intrinsically disrespectful in every possible context, and this pair does not certify all other ceremonial vocabulary.

  • Using นิมนต์ in the fixed request อาราธนาศีล.

    นิมนต์ศีล
    อาราธนาศีล

    In the retained pair, อาราธนาศีล is the established wording for requesting the Buddhist precepts, whereas นิมนต์ศีล does not express that fixed request. Read the object ศีล with the verb. This does not divide every use of นิมนต์ and อาราธนา into mutually exclusive place-versus-duty categories.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

นิมนต์Level 5Inviting a Monk

Learn This First

To understand 'นิมนต์', you need to be familiar with the concept of register in Thai, where specific words are used depending on who you are talking to. Since 'นิมนต์' is the specific word for 'inviting' or 'asking' a monk to do something, you should already understand basic polite requests and the social context of monks in Thai culture.

Words in This Pattern

นิมนต์