เหี้ย
hîia/hia̯˥˩/
The English phrase "monitor lizard" in Thai is translated as เหี้ย (hîia) or กิ้งก่ามอนิเตอร์.
Meaning: lizard of the genus Varanus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| เหี้ย | hîia | /hia̯˥˩/ |
| กิ้งก่ามอนิเตอร์ | gîng-gàa-mɔɔ-ní-dtəə | /kiŋ˥˩.kaː˨˩.mɔː˧.ni˦˥.tɤː˧/ |
The term refers to lizards of the genus Varanus. While เหี้ย is the biological name for the animal, it is most commonly used in modern Thai as a strong curse word.
Which one should you use?
เหี้ย is the literal name for the monitor lizard, but it is primarily used as a profanity.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
เหี้ย is highly vulgar and is used as an insult.
How do you pronounce it?
The word เหี้ย is pronounced /hia̯˥˩/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when using เหี้ย. Although it means monitor lizard, it is a highly offensive profanity used as an insult.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, Thai people use the term ตัวเงินตัวทอง to refer to monitor lizards, which literally translates to 'silver-gold body' to bring good luck.
- In Siamese folk religion, the monitor lizard was once a highly venerated creature. This deep respect is actually what led to the name becoming a taboo word in common speech.
- To avoid the vulgarity of เหี้ย, Thai speakers may use the calque กิ้งก่ามอนิเตอร์, which combines the Thai word for 'lizard' with a loanword from English.
Examples in context
- ฉันเห็นเหี้ยตัวใหญ่ในคลองchan hen hia tua yai nai khlongI saw a large monitor lizard in the canal.
- ระวังเหี้ยแถวนี้ด้วยนะrawang hia thaeo ni duai naBe careful of the monitor lizards around here.
- เหี้ยกำลังเดินไปที่ริมน้ำhia kamlang doen pai thi rim namThe monitor lizard is walking toward the water's edge.
Example conversation
ณิชา and ธนกฤต are walking near a park pond.
- ณิชา Nichaดูนั่นสิ มีเหี้ยอยู่ตรงนั้นด้วยdu nan si mi hia yu trong nan duaiLook there, there is a monitor lizard over there too.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritมันตัวใหญ่มากเลยนะman tua yai mak loei naIt is a very large one.
- ณิชา Nichaอย่าเข้าไปใกล้เชียวล่ะya khao pai klai chiao laDon't go any closer.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritผมจะระวังครับphom cha rawang khrapI will be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monitor lizard” translations and entries เหี้ย, กิ้งก่ามอนิเตอร์, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กิ้งก่ามอนิเตอร์, เหี้ย, CC BY-SA 4.0.
