ຜີ
phī[pʰiː˩(˧)]
The English word "ghost" is translated into Lao as ຜີ (phī). Wiktionary also lists ພູດ (phūt) and ຕາຫລອກ (tā lǭk).
Meaning: spirit appearing after death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lao | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ຜີ | phī | [pʰiː˩(˧)] (narrow) [pʰiː˥˧˧] (narrow) |
| ພູດ | phūt | [pʰuːt̚˥˨] (narrow) [pʰuːt̚˧˦] (narrow) |
| ຕາຫລອກ | tā lǭk | |
| ປີສາດ | pī sāt | [piː˩(˧).saːt̚˧˩] (narrow) [piː˩˨.saːt̚˥˥˨] (narrow) |
The term is used to refer to a spirit appearing after death.
Which one should you use?
ຜີ (phī) is the general term for a ghost or spirit. ພູດ (phūt), ຕາຫລອກ (tā lǭk) and ປີສາດ (pī sāt) are also forms used to refer to a ghost.
How do you pronounce it?
phī
Did you know?
- The word ຜີ is used not only for ghosts but also as a prefix for various traditional spirits and household deities found in nature.
- In some Lao traditions, people may offer food or drinks to the ຜີ of their ancestors to ensure protection and good fortune for the family.
- The term ປີສາດ (pī sāt) shares a common ancestor with the Sanskrit word piśāca, which originally referred to a specific class of flesh-eating demons.
Examples in context
- ຂ້ອຍຢ້ານຜີຫຼາຍ.khoy yan phi lai.I am very afraid of ghosts.
- ມີຄົນບອກວ່າເຫັນຜີຢູ່ບ້ານເກົ່າ.mi khon bok wa hen phi yu ban kao.Someone said they saw a ghost at the old house.
- ເລື່ອງຜີນ້ີ້ໜ້າຢ້ານແທ້ໆ.rueang phi ni na yan thae thae.This ghost story is truly scary.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a scary movie they just watched.
- Aເຈົ້າຢ້ານຜີບໍ່?chao yan phi bo?Are you afraid of ghosts?
- Bບໍ່, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຢ້ານຜີເລີຍ.bo, khoy bo yan phi loei.No, I am not afraid of ghosts at all.
- Aແຕ່ເລື່ອງນີ້ມັນໜ້າຢ້ານຫຼາຍເດ.tae rueang ni man na yan lai de.But this story is so scary.
- Bມັນກໍເປັນແຕ່ເລື່ອງສົມມຸດ.man ko pen tae rueang som mut.It is just a fictional story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghost” translations and entries ຜີ, ພູດ, ປີສາດ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ປີສາດ, ຜີ, ພູດ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
