ປ້າ
pa
The Lao word for aunt is ປ້າ (pa), used for an aunt who is older than your parent.
Lao kinship words depend on age. ປ້າ is the older sister of your father or mother, and also the wife of a parent's older brother. An aunt who is younger than your parent is called by a different word, and that word also differs between the father's and the mother's side.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
When do people say it?
ປ້າ is also a friendly way to address or refer to any woman about the age of your parents or a little older, even if she is not related to you.
Did you know?
- While ປ້າ is used for an older aunt, using it for a woman who is clearly younger than your parent can be seen as a subtle insult regarding her age.
- When addressing a woman as ປ້າ, a speaker will often avoid using her actual name entirely, as the kinship title replaces the name to show proper deference.
- In Lao culture, using a kinship term like ປ້າ to address someone can actually create a social bond that makes the interaction feel more intimate and less formal than using a name.
Examples in context
- ປ້າຂອງຂ້ອຍໃຈດີຫຼາຍ.pa khong khoy chai di lai.My aunt is very kind.
- ປ້າກໍາລັງເຮັດກິນຢູ່.pa kam lang het kin yu.Aunt is cooking right now.
Example conversation
A person visits their aunt's house.
- Aສະບາຍດີ, ປ້າ.sabai di, pa.Hello, aunt.
- Bສະບາຍດີລູກ, ເປັນແນວໃດ?sabai di luk, pen naeo dai?Hello, dear, how are you?
- Aຂ້ອຍສະບາຍດີ, ປ້າກໍາລັງເຮັດຫຍັງ?khoy sabai di, pa kam lang het yang?I am fine, what are you doing, aunt?
- Bປ້າກໍາລັງກຽມອາຫານຢູ່.pa kam lang kiem a han yu.Aunt is preparing food.
