Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ป้า | bpâa | /paː˥˩/ |
| อา | aa | /ʔaː˧/ |
| น้า | náa | /naː˦˥/ |
The terms for aunt in Thai are used to describe a parent's sister or sister-in-law, but they also function as social honorifics. You can use these terms to address any woman who is older than you, even if she is not a biological relative.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the aunt's age relative to your parents and which side of the family she belongs to:
– ป้า is used specifically for an aunt who is older than your parent. – อา is used for an aunt who is younger than your parent on your father's side. – น้า is used for an aunt who is younger than your parent on your mother's side.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make any of these kinship terms more polite and respectful when addressing someone, you can add the honorific คุณ before the word, creating คุณป้า, คุณน้า or คุณอา.
How do you pronounce it?
bpâa (/paː˥˩/)
Did you know?
- If you address a woman as ป้า when she considers herself young or elegant, she may find it offensive because it emphasizes her age.
- While 'aunt' is the English translation, the Thai word อา is gender-neutral and can also be used to address a younger-than-parent's brother on the father's side.
- The word อา is thought to be onomatopoeic, potentially mimicking a sound associated with the role or a primitive call.
Examples in context
- น้าจ๋าสบายดีไหม?How are you, Aunt?
- ป้าของฉันใจดีมากpa khong chan chai di makMy aunt is very kind.
- คุณป้ากำลังทำอาหารอยู่khun pa kamlang tham a-han yuThe aunt is cooking right now.
- ฉันไปเยี่ยมคุณป้าที่บ้านchan pai yiam khun pa thi banI went to visit my aunt at her house.
Example conversation
A woman is telling a man about her relative.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritคุณป้าของคุณสบายดีไหมkhun pa khong khun sa bai di maiHow is your aunt doing?
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanป้าของฉันสบายดีค่ะpa khong chan sa bai di khaMy aunt is doing well.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritดีจังเลยครับdi chang loei khrapThat is great.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanขอบคุณค่ะkhop khun khaThank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries ป้า, อา, น้า, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries น้า, ป้า, อา, CC BY-SA 4.0.
