Adjectives are words that modify nouns. In Thai, they can function in two roles. We are already familiar with the attributive function from English. This is where the adjective modifies a noun which is part of a sentence that additionally has a predicate—a verb phrase.

What we don't have in English is the predicative role for adjectives. In Thai, any adjective can function as a standalone predicate, without needing an additional verb in the sentence. It's actually incorrect to use one of the copula words เป็น   /bpenM/ or คือ   /kheuuM/ (Thai versions of "to be") to join an adjective to a noun, like you would in English.

In Thai linguistics, adjectives are called คำวิเศษณ์  /khamM wiH saehtL/, which is usually translated as modifier. A detailed presentation of the Thai approach to this subject can be found in our reference article on modifiers, which is a translation of the relevant section from a classic Thai grammar textbook.

Below is a list of some of the adjectives in our online dictionary. To remind you of their dual functions, we insert the notation "[is]" at the beginning of each English definition of a Thai adjective. We have chosen this indicative form instead of the infinitive "to be" (which most Thai-English other dictionaries use) because it provides a better example of direct readability in the context of a larger, translated sentence.