Polite Particles & 'I'

Polite Thai sentences end with a particle. It shows the gender of the speaker, not the listener.

• Men use ครับ everywhere, in statements and questions: ผมชื่อต้นครับ (My name is Ton.)
• Women use ค่ะ in statements and answers: ใช่ค่ะ (Yes.)
• Women use คะ in questions, after นะ and when calling someone: ไปไหนคะ (Where are you going?), คุณคะ (Excuse me!)

The word for 'I' also depends on gender. Men say ผม (very formal: กระผม). Women say ดิฉัน (polite), ฉัน (everyday) or หนู (to older people). Friends and family also use the soft จ้ะ and จ้า, and women answer a call with ขา. With strangers, stick to ครับ, ค่ะ and คะ.