FamilySin sod: the Thai bride price
Sin sod, สินสอดsǐn-sàwt, is the bride price: money and often gold that the groom's family gives the bride's parents at a Thai wedding.
bride price (paid by the groom's family) noun
- sǐn rising
- sàwt low
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
engagement gold noun
- tawng mid
- mân falling
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
How to use it
สินสอดsǐn-sàwt is traditionally a thank-you to the bride's parents for raising her, and shows that the groom can provide for her. The two families agree on it before the wedding, and it's carried in and shown off on trays at the engagement ceremony, together with the engagement gold, ทองหมั้นtawng-mân. The amount depends on the family, the region and the couple, and many parents give part or all of it back to the newlyweds after the ceremony.
Talk about it openly with your partner and their family early on: expectations differ a lot from one family to the next.
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:
- sin sod
- sinsod
- sin sot
- sin sord
- sinsot
More family in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones