Animals
Culture and festivalsnaga, the great serpent of Buddhist legend noun
- pá high
- yaa mid
- nâak falling
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
Classifier: ตัวdtua · counting word for animals, clothes, tables and chairs
How to use it
The พญานาคpá-yaa-nâak is the great serpent of Buddhist legend, a guardian of water and of the Buddha. Its long body forms the railings of temple stairways, like the staircase up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. On the Mekong at Nong Khai, crowds gather at the end of Buddhist Lent to watch the "naga fireballs", glowing balls said to rise from the river.
The short form is นาคnâak, which is also what a man about to be ordained as a monk is called.
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:
- phaya nak
- payanak
- phayanak
- pha ya nak
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