Family words matter more in Thai than in English: Thais address strangers as พี่ (pii, older sibling) or น้อง (nong, younger sibling) all the time. Learning these words unlocks how Thai people actually talk to each other.
| Thai | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ครอบครัว | khrɔ̂ɔp-khrua | Family |
| พ่อ | phɔ̂ɔ | Father |
| แม่ | mɛ̂ɛ | Mother |
| พี่ | phîi | Older siblingพี่ชาย = older brother, พี่สาว = older sister |
| น้อง | nɔ́ɔng | Younger siblingน้องชาย = younger brother, น้องสาว = younger sister |
| แต่งงาน | dtàeng-ngaan | Get married / Married |
| โสด | sòot | Single |
| สามี | sǎa-mii | Husband |
| ภรรยา | phan-rá-yaa | Wife |
| ปู่ | bpùu | Grandfather (paternal) |
| ย่า | yâa | Grandmother (paternal) |
| ตา | dtaa | Grandfather (maternal)Different from ตา (eye)! |
| ยาย | yaai | Grandmother (maternal) |
Thai family terms are specific! • พ่อ (father), แม่ (mother) • พี่ (older sibling), น้อง (younger sibling) Important: • พี่ชาย = older brother • พี่สาว = older sister • น้องชาย = younger brother • น้องสาว = younger sister Age matters in Thai culture!
Marital status vocabulary: • โสด (sòot) = Single • แต่งงาน (dtàeng-ngaan) = Married • หย่า (yàa) = Divorced • หม้าย (mâai) = Widowed Asking: • แต่งงานแล้วหรือยัง = Are you married yet? • มีแฟนหรือยัง = Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Important cultural notes: 1. Age hierarchy is very important 2. Use พี่ for anyone older, even slightly 3. Grandparents have different terms: • ปู่/ย่า = paternal grandparents • ตา/ยาย = maternal grandparents 4. Family is central to Thai life 5. Respect for elders is essential 6. Children often live with parents until marriage
Hear native pronunciation, do interactive exercises, and review with spaced repetition flashcards in the LearnThai app.
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