liab
/liə̯˥/
The Hmong word for monkey is liab.
liab is a noun used to refer to a primate.
Meaning: primate (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/liə̯˥/
Did you know?
- The word liab can be easily confused with a word for 'red' because they are homonyms, but they descend from entirely different ancestral roots.
- Hmong uses a specific system of classifiers for counting, meaning you cannot simply place a number before liab to count monkeys.
- In some Hmong dialects, the tone used for liab can shift the meaning entirely, turning a 'monkey' into a different concept.
Example sentences for Hmong are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Nao and Cheng are visiting a zoo.
- NaoCheng, saib tug liab ntawd!Cheng, look at that monkey!
- ChengNws zoo nkauj heev, Nao.It is very cute, Nao.
- NaoNws tab tom ua dab tsi?What is it doing?
- ChengTug liab ntawd tab tom lwgia.That monkey is jumping.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monkey” translations and entries liab, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries liab, CC BY-SA 4.0.
