FamilyIn-laws in Thai
Thai names your in-laws by side: your wife's parents are พ่อตาแม่ยายpâw-dtaa mâe-yaai and your husband's parents พ่อแม่สามีpâw-mâe sǎa-mii.
your wife's parents noun
- pâw falling
- dtaa mid
- mâe falling
- yaai mid
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
your husband's parents noun
- pâw falling
- mâe falling
- sǎa rising
- mii mid
- 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
Thai has no single word for in-laws: you name them by whose family they are. Your wife's parents are พ่อตาแม่ยายpâw-dtaa mâe-yaai, the same words as a child's grandparents on the mother's side, and your husband's parents พ่อแม่สามีpâw-mâe sǎa-mii. To their faces, many people call their in-laws คุณพ่อkun-pâw and คุณแม่kun-mâe.
A man who marries into a family is its เขยkǒei, and a woman its สะใภ้sà-pái: that's where the words for son-in-law, daughter-in-law and a sibling's spouse come from.
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:
- pho ta mae yai
- por ta mae yai
- pho mae sami
More family in Thai
All family
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones