ยาย
yaai/jaːj˧/
The English word grandmother is translated into Thai as either ย่า or ยาย (yaai).
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ยาย | yaai | /jaːj˧/ |
| ย่า | yâa | /jaː˥˩/ |
These terms are used to identify the mother of a person's parent. You use a different word depending on whether the grandmother is on the paternal or maternal side of the family.
Which one should you use?
The term ย่า refers specifically to a paternal grandmother, which is the mother of one's father. In contrast, the term ยาย refers specifically to a maternal grandmother, which is the mother of one's mother.
How do you pronounce it?
yaai
Did you know?
- In Thai culture, children may use ยาย to politely address any elderly woman, even if there is no biological relationship.
- The word ย่า is a cognate with the Proto-Austronesian word *aya, meaning it shares a prehistoric root with languages spoken in the Philippines and Indonesia.
- In some Thai dialects, the distinction between ย่า and ยาย is less strict than in the standard Bangkok dialect.
Examples in context
- ยายของฉันใจดีมากyai khong chan chai di makMy grandmother is very kind.
- คุณยายกำลังทำอาหารkhun yai kam lang tham a-hanGrandmother is cooking.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanสุดสัปดาห์นี้คุณจะไปไหนไหมsut sap da ni khun cha pai nai maiAre you going anywhere this weekend?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatผมจะไปหาคุณยายครับphom cha pai ha khun yai khrapI am going to visit my grandmother.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanคุณยายสบายดีไหมkhun yai sa-bai di maiIs your grandmother doing well?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatท่านสบายดีครับthan sa-bai di khrapShe is doing well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries ยาย, ย่า, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ยาย, ย่า, CC BY-SA 4.0.
