เธอ เขา

[CSS]

I feel like I've read of this topic here before but I couldn't find it using the thaivisa search.

I tend to always use เขา for third person pronoun objects. My question is whether it is better to always use เธอ instead of เขา for female third person pronoun objects, particularly in writing. Also, is there any different connotation or feeling carried with เธอ when used as opposed to เขา as a third person pronoun object (as there is when using it in place of คุณ). Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

all the best

Edited June 12, 2008 by CSS

[riga]

That's a good question. As far as I understand เธอ used as 2nd person pronoun as an intimate connotation, but used as 3rd person pronoun it can be formal and even be found when reffering to royal (His Highness Prince or Her Highness Princess), and that's pretty embarassing for me.

The reason is I always have the impression that if you use it in the wrong situation (and for wrong situation I mean a sentence said or written in an unclear context) the pronoun could be missunderstood.

I will wait impatiently for any advises that will be posted on this issue.

[DavidHouston]

I found this explanation in “คลังคำ”, จัดทำโดย ดร. นววรรณ พันธุเมธา, 2544 (2001)

เธอ ใช้เมื่อผู้พูดเป็นหญิง ผู้ฟังเป็นผู้เสมอกัน หรือเมื่อผู้พูดเป็นผู้ใหญ่ ผู้ฟังเป็นผู้น้อย; ใช้เมื่อเอ่ยถึงผู้อื่นอย่างสนิทสนมและยกย่อง

The word “เธอ” is used when the first person is female [and] the second person is on the same [social] level. Alternatively, [the word “เธอ” is used] when the first person is of a higher status [or age] and the second person is of a lower status [or age]. [The word “เธอ” is also] used when referring to a third person who is an intimate or who is a relative and [is being referred to] in a respectful manner.

Any corrections to this translation would be welcome.

[CSS]

Thanks for the replies riga and david. I did just now find the previous thread that I thought I had read but couldn't find. Here's the link http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/lofiversion/...hp/t124402.html, Yoot's post is particularly helpful, though it doesn't seem to quite match with the คลังคำ explanation. The คลังคำ explanation seems to tend towards เธอ being used in the third person for males or females who are intimate or family and it denotes respect, whereas from Yoot's post I got that เธอ, at least in the written form, should always be used in place of เขา for 3rd person females and thus does not carry any specific connotation/feeling.

[yoot]

CSS,

The explanation from “คลังคำ” is correct but for this part 'ใช้เมื่อเอ่ยถึงผู้อื่นอย่างสนิทสนมและยกย่อง', it's an old fashionable usage. Nowadays, people would use 'ท่าน' instead of 'เธอ' in this case.

[DavidHouston]

CSS,

The explanation from "คลังคำ" is correct but for this part 'ใช้เมื่อเอ่ยถึงผู้อื่นอย่างสนิทสนมและยกย่อง', it's an old fashionable usage. Nowadays, people would use 'ท่าน' instead of 'เธอ' in this case.

Perfect, Khun Yoot; it is very important that we learners understand that the Thai language is dynamic and that usages change over time. This is certainly true for English (how many parents understand their children's SMS messages?); and is likely just as true for Thai as well.

"Nowadays, people would use 'ท่าน' instead of 'เธอ' in this case."

This is useful information. Getting the right social tone, as well as language tone, when speaking to others is so important for we learners. We are lucky, I suppose, that Thai is not Japanese with its complex, multilayered language and social structure.