Khun, Phi, Nong Meaning: How Thais Address Each Other

คุณkun (Khun) is the polite "you" and a title for adults; พี่pîi (Phi) means older brother or sister and น้องnáwng (Nong) younger brother or sister, and Thais use these two for almost everyone, related or not. Before a name they work like titles: Khun Nam, Phi Boss, Nong Fon. The right one depends on age and closeness, which is why Thais often ask how old you are soon after meeting you.

Khun: polite and neutral

คุณkun means "you" in polite speech, and before a first name or nickname it works like Mr, Mrs or Ms: คุณน้ำkun náam. It's the safe choice for adults you don't know, customers and colleagues you aren't close to. It also makes family words more respectful: คุณแม่kun-mâe is a polite "mother". (The Khun in old noble titles, like Khun Phaen of the classic legend, is a different word, ขุนkǔn.)

Phi and Nong: everyone is family

Thai social life runs on seniority, and family words express it warmly:

• พี่pîi: anyone a bit older than you, from a colleague to a shop assistant. It's friendly and respectful at the same time: Nam calls her older cousin พี่บอสpîi báwt.
• น้องnáwng: anyone younger. It's also how you call a young waiter: น้องครับnáwng kráp or น้องคะnáwng ká, "excuse me!". Call an older one พี่pîi the same way.
• These words often replace "I" and "you". An older sister heading out might say พี่ไปก่อนนะpîi bpai gàwn ná, literally "Phi is going first", meaning "I'm off".

Fans of Thai dramas will know the subtitle shorthand: P'Win is "Phi Win", N'Fon is "Nong Fon".

Aunties, uncles and grandparents

Older people get the family title that fits their age:

• ป้าbpâa and ลุงlung: aunt and uncle, for anyone about your parents' age or older. Pa Daeng, the food vendor in our course, is ป้าแดงbpâa daeng.
• น้าnáa: a younger aunt or uncle, for someone between your age and your parents'.
• ยายyaai and ตาdtaa: grandma and grandpa, for elderly people.
• In Thai-Chinese shops you'll hear เฮียhia, "big brother", and เจ๊jée, "big sister", from Teochew Chinese, often for the owner.

Teachers, doctors and children

ครูkruu is a schoolteacher and อาจารย์aa-jaan a university lecturer or respected expert; หมอmǎw is a doctor, so Dr Somchai is หมอสมชายmǎw sǒm-chaai. Adults call children and young women หนูnǔu, "little one" (literally "mouse"), and children and young women often use it for "I" when talking to their elders.

Getting it right

When in doubt, use คุณkun with strangers and พี่pîi with anyone who might be older, and let people tell you what they'd like to be called. If you guess too old, laugh it off: calling a thirty-year-old ป้าbpâa is a classic way to get teased. You'll practise family words, and how Thais use them for everyone, in Unit 20 of the free course, at dinner with Fon's family.