อายุ
aa-yú/ʔaː˧.juʔ˦˥/
The Thai word for age is อายุ (aa-yú).
อายุ refers to the amount of time that has passed since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing. It is used to denote the age of people, animals and even inanimate objects like buildings or eras.
Meaning: amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While อายุ refers to a specific number of years, the word วัย is used to refer to a general stage of life, such as childhood or adolescence.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to state a specific age in years, the word อายุ is often followed by a number and the classifier ปี (year).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced aa-yú. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word อายุ is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'age', as both trace back to the same ancestral roots in Indo-European and Indo-Iranian languages.
- In Thai culture, the อายุ of a person often determines the level of politeness and the specific pronouns used when speaking to them, even if the age difference is only a few years.
- In some traditional contexts, a person's อายุ might be calculated based on the lunar calendar, which can lead to a different age than the one listed on an official birth certificate.
Examples in context
- พวกเขาอายุใกล้เคียงกันThey are about the same age.This sentence shows how to describe people having a similar อายุ.Tatoeba #8675912 by pastelite, translation #406349 by blay_paul
- ฉันมีอายุสองเท่าของคุณI'm twice your age.This sentence is useful for expressing a multiple of someone's อายุ.Tatoeba #8718097 by pastelite, translation #252791 by CK
- ทอมเสียชีวิตเมื่ออายุ 97 ปีTom died at the age of 97.This sentence demonstrates using อายุ when stating how old someone was when they passed away.Tatoeba #8720178 by pastelite, translation #1026256 by CK
- อายุเท่าไรอ่ะ?How old are you?
- คุณเกิดปีอะไร?Which year were you born in?
- ผมอายุ 35 ครับI am 35 years old.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new pet puppy.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritน้องหมาตัวนี้อายุเท่าไหร่ครับnong ma tua ni ayu thao rai khrapHow old is this puppy?
- พิมล Pimonเขามีอายุแค่สองเดือนค่ะkhao mi ayu khae song duean khaHe is only two months old.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritยังเด็กมากเลยนะครับyang dek mak loei na khrapHe is still very young.
- พิมล Pimonใช่ค่ะ เขาน่ารักมากchai kha khao na rak makYes, he is very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “age” translations and entries อายุ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries อายุ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
