khru

Khru is a term used in Thai (ครู) and Khmer (គ្រូ) to mean teacher or master. It functions as both a general noun for an educator and a respectful title for someone who has trained another person in a craft or discipline. The word is embedded in everyday life as well as in traditional arts, where a senior teacher passes on skills to apprentices.

In Thai usage, khru can refer to a schoolteacher, a dance or music instructor, or a coach in traditional disciplines such as Muay Thai. It often carries a sense of mentorship and personal guidance, and students commonly show respect to their khru through formal address or gesture. When greater formality is required, other terms such as ajarn (for university teachers or more formal instruction) may be used, but khru remains a widely accepted honorific across many contexts.

In Khmer, kru also denotes a teacher or master, used in schools and in traditional arts. The term reflects the cultural importance placed on learning and the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next.

Etymology and transliteration vary. The Thai form is written ครู, typically transliterated as khru or kru; Khmer is written គ្រូ and commonly transliterated as kru. The concept of a khru emphasizes lineage and mastery within a community of learners, distinct from more formal academic titles in some settings but integral to everyday respect for educators.