Animals ชะนี chá-nii
gibbon; (gay slang, teasing) a woman noun
- chá high
- nii mid
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Classifier: ตัวdtua · counting word for animals, clothes, tables and chairs
How to use it
Gibbons sing loud, whooping songs at dawn in forests like Khao Yai. In the slang of gay men and kathoey, women are teasingly called ชะนีchá-nii, because the gibbon's call is said to sound like ผัวpǔa, "husband!": it's funny among friends, but not a polite word for a woman.
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:
- chani
- cha nee
- chanee
More animals in Thai
All animals
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones