คน + Verb
People and Their Roles
The pattern คน (khon) + Verb can name a person by an action or role, as in คนขับรถ ('driver') and คนขาย ('seller').
How It Works
People and Their Roles
คน (khon) means 'person'. A following verb or verb phrase can describe what that person does: คนขับรถ is a driver, คนขาย is a seller, and คนดู is a viewer. These words name a role; they do not tell you whether the person is an expert or earns money from it.
Learn the Whole Word
Not every word beginning with คน has a verb as its second part. In คนงาน ('worker'), งาน is the noun 'work'. คนใช้ is a word for a servant or domestic helper; its established meaning is not simply any person who uses something. Learn each whole word and its meaning rather than assuming that every new คน + Verb combination is an established job title.
Longer Descriptions
You can use a longer คน ที่... phrase to say 'the person who...'. A short role word and a full description can convey different amounts of information.
Compare นัก
นัก (nák) also appears in words for people, including นักเรียน ('student'), นักดนตรี ('musician'), and นักเขียน ('writer'). The meaning depends on the whole word. นัก can occur in words for learners, enthusiasts, skilled people, and occupations; it does not by itself mean that someone is an expert or a paid professional.
Counting People
To say 'three drivers', use คนขับสามคน: คนขับ names the role, สาม gives the number, and the last คน is the classifier. Do not use the whole role word again in that classifier position.
Examples (5)
- คนขับรถไปไหน?
Where did the driver go?
Word by Word: person drive car go where
Here, 'khon-khàp' (person-drive) is the standard word for 'driver' in everyday Thai.
- คนขายบอกว่าลดราคาไม่ได้
The seller said they can't reduce the price.
Word by Word: person sell tell that reduce price not can
Using 'khon-khǎai' (person-sell) refers to the vendor or shopkeeper in a neutral, descriptive way.
- เขาเป็นคนใช้ที่บ้านนี้
He/She is a servant at this house.
Word by Word: he/she is person use at house this
In this sentence, คนใช้ (khon-chái) means 'servant/domestic helper'. Learn it as a whole word, rather than interpreting it as any person who uses something.
- คนงานกำลังทำงานอยู่
The workers are currently working.
Word by Word: person work[noun] [ongoing] do work [ongoing]
คนงาน (khon-ngaan) means 'worker/laborer'. Here, งาน is the noun 'work', rather than a verb.
- คนดูชอบหนังเรื่องนี้มาก
The audience (viewers) likes this movie a lot.
Word by Word: person watch like movie classifier this very
'khon-duu' (person-watch) describes the people watching or the audience.
Common Mistakes
Confusing the prefix with the classifier.
คนขับสามคนขับคนขับสามคนIn คนขับสามคน ('three drivers'), use the classifier คน (khon) after the number. The role word คนขับ does not replace คน in this classifier position.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the 'คน + Verb' pattern, you need to know the basic word for 'person' (คน) and understand that Thai verbs can follow nouns directly to describe them without conjugation or complex relative markers in everyday speech.
Related Patterns
- นัก + VerbPeople with Different Roles
Forms words for people with different roles, such as นักเรียน ('student') and นักเขียน ('writer'); it does not always imply expertise or a paid occupation.
Level 3 - ผู้ + VerbPeople Defined by a Role
The formal/official version of 'khon + verb', often used in legal or written contexts.
Level 3 - ช่าง + VerbTradesperson Words and Other Uses
Appears in words for craftspeople and technicians, such as ช่างไฟ ('electrician').
Level 3 - ที่ (ขยายคำนาม)The One That
Used to create full relative clauses ('the person who...'); 'khon + verb' is often a shortened version of this.
Level 1 - การ + VerbTurning a Verb into a Noun
Another way to turn verbs into nouns, but this creates abstract nouns (actions) rather than people.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice คน + Verb in Bubblegum
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