Animalsinsect, bug noun
- má high
- laeng 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
แมลงmá-laeng is an insect: the first syllable is quick, almost mlaeng. Many insect names start with it, like แมลงสาบmá-laeng-sàap, cockroach, แมลงวันmá-laeng-wan, fly, and แมลงปอmá-laeng-bpaw, dragonfly. Spiders and scorpions, which aren't insects, start with แมงmaeng, a word casual speech also uses for bugs in general.
Fried insects, แมลงทอดmá-laeng tâwt, are a real snack in Isan and at Bangkok night markets: crickets, grasshoppers and silkworm pupae, fried crisp and salted.
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:
- mlaeng
- malang
- maleng
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