PeopleElderly in Thai
“Elderly” in Thai is คนแก่kon-gàe; you'll also hear ผู้สูงอายุpûu-sǔung-aa-yú (polite, signs).
old person, old people noun everyday
- kon mid
- gàe low
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
Classifier: คนkon · person, people
the elderly, senior citizens (polite) noun polite, signs
- pûu falling
- sǔung rising
- aa mid
- yú high
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
How to use it
คนแก่kon-gàe is the everyday word, fine when you talk about someone but blunt to their face. Signs, the news and polite speech say ผู้สูงอายุpûu-sǔung-aa-yú, "person of high age", as on the priority seats of the BTS.
To talk to an older person, use a family word: an old man is ลุงlung, "uncle", and an old woman ป้าbpâa, "auntie"; the very old are คุณตาkun dtaa and คุณยายkun yaai, grandpa and grandma.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- khon kae
- kon kae
- phu sung ayu
- poo soong ayu
Read more
More people in Thai
All people
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones