Thai · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 36

คุณทำงานอะไรWhat work do you do?

nʉ̀ŋ tham-ngaan à-rai

Talking about work and jobs. Vocabulary: อาชีพ, ทำงาน, หมอ, พยาบาล, วิศวกร, ครู, ตำรวจ, พนักงาน, บริษัท, เงินเดือน. Key grammar: "ทำงานเป็น + occupation" to state your job — "ผมทำงานเป็นครู" (I work as a teacher). "เป็น" is the verb from chapter 4 (S เป็น N) for "be a [something]"; ask with "ทำงานอะไร" or "ทำอาชีพอะไร". There is no "a/an" article and no number "one". English speakers translate "work AS an engineer" with "เหมือน" (like), so they wrongly say "ทำงานเหมือนวิศวกร" ✗ → "ทำงานเป็นวิศวกร" ✓. Tone corner: อาชีพ (aachîip), หมอ (mɔ̌ɔ, rising), ครู (khruu, mid).

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ทำงานเหมือน? ทำงานเป็น— ทำงานเหมือน? or ทำงานเป็น

  1. Somchaiเจมส์JamesคุณkhunทำthamงานngaanอะàไรraiครับkrápJames, what work do you do?
  2. Jamesผมphǒmทำthamงานngaanเหมือนmʉ̌anวิศวกรwít-sà-wá-kɔnครับkrápI work as an engineer. (slip: "as a job" is เป็น, not เหมือน "like" → ทำงานเป็นวิศวกร)
  3. Somchai"เหมือนmʉ̌an"แปลplɛɛว่าwâa"คล้ายkhláaikhláai"นะครับkráp.อาชีพaachîipต้องtɔ̂ŋใช้chái"เป็นpen":"ผมphǒmทำthamงานngaanเป็นpenวิศวกรwít-sà-wá-kɔn""เหมือน" means "similar to". For a job you use "เป็น": "ผมทำงานเป็นวิศวกร".
  4. Jamesอ๋อɔ̌ɔผมphǒmทำthamงานngaanเป็นpenวิศวกรwít-sà-wá-kɔnที่thîiบริษัทbɔ-rí-sàtใหญ่yàiครับkrápOh, I work as an engineer, at a big company.
  5. Somchaiเยี่ยมyîamครับkráp!แล้วlɛ́ɛwภรรยาphan-rá-yaaคุณkhunล่ะทำthamอาชีพaachîipอะàไรraiGreat! And your wife — what does she do?
  6. Jamesเธอthəəทำthamงานngaanเป็นpenพยาบาลphá-yaa-baanครับkrápผมphǒmเข้าใจkhâocaiแล้วlɛ́ɛwอาชีพaachîipใช้chái"เป็นpen"She works as a nurse. I understand now — a job uses "เป็น".
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ครอบครัวทำอาชีพอะไร— What does the family do?

  1. Maleeเจมส์Jamesพ่อphɔ̂ɔของkhɔ̌ɔŋคุณkhunทำthamอาชีพaachîipอะàไรraiคะkháJames, what does your father do?
  2. Jamesพ่อphɔ̂ɔผมphǒmทำthamงานngaanเป็นpenครูkhruuครับkrápสอนsɔ̌ɔnที่thîiโรงrooŋเรียนrianMy father works as a teacher; he teaches at a school.
  3. Maleeดีdiiจังcaŋค่ะแล้วlɛ́ɛwแม่mɛ̂ɛล่ะคะkháHow nice. And your mother?
  4. Jamesแม่mɛ̂ɛผมphǒmเป็นpenตำtamรวจrùuatครับkrápส่วนsùuanพี่สาวphîisǎaoทำthamงานngaanเป็นpenพยาบาลphá-yaa-baanMy mother is a police officer, and my older sister works as a nurse.
  5. Maleeครอบครัวkhrɔ̂ɔpkhruaเก่งkèŋทุกคนthúkkhonเลยləəyค่ะ!ดิฉันdichǎnทำthamงานngaanเป็นpenพนักงานบริษัทphá-nák-ngaan-bɔ-rí-sàtค่ะEveryone in the family is capable! I work as a company employee.
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อาชีพaachîip

nounoccupation, profession

ทำthamงานngaan

verbto work

หมอmɔ̌ɔ

noundoctor

พยาบาลphá-yaa-baan

nounnurse

วิศวกรwít-sà-wá-kɔn

nounengineer

ครูkhruu

nounteacher

ตำtamรวจrùuat

nounpolice officer

พนักงานphá-nák-ngaan

nounemployee, staff

บริษัทbɔ-rí-sàt

nouncompany

เงินngənเดือนdʉan

nounsalary

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ทำงานเป็น + occupation (not "เหมือน")

Explanation

To say what you do for work, use "ทำงานเป็น + occupation": "ผมทำงานเป็นครู" (I work as a teacher), "เธอทำงานเป็นหมอ" (she works as a doctor). The word "เป็น" is the same verb you learned in chapter 4 (S เป็น N — "เขาเป็นคนไทย", he is Thai); here it links a person to a job. You can also answer shortly with "ผมเป็นวิศวกร" (I am an engineer). Ask with "คุณทำงานอะไร" or "คุณทำอาชีพอะไร" (what work do you do?). Remember: Thai has no "a/an" article and no "หนึ่ง" (one) — just say "เป็นครู", not "เป็นหนึ่งครู". Typical mistake: English says "work AS an engineer", so learners grab "เหมือน" (like / similar to) for "as" and get "ทำงานเหมือนวิศวกร" ✗ (= work similarly to an engineer) → the correct form is "ทำงานเป็นวิศวกร" ✓.

Examples

  • ผมทำงานเป็นวิศวกรI work as an engineer.
  • คุณทำงานอะไรครับWhat work do you do?
  • เธอเป็นหมอ ทำงานที่โรงพยาบาลShe is a doctor; she works at a hospital.
  • พนักงานคนนี้ทำงานที่บริษัทใหญ่This employee works at a big company.
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วรรณยุกต์ในชื่ออาชีพ— Tones in job names

Read aloud, keeping each job word's tone:

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