Familystepfather; (in the North) a rich, respected man noun
- pâw falling
- líang high
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Classifier: คนkon · person, people
How to use it
เลี้ยงlíang is to raise or look after, so a stepfather is "the father who raises you", and a stepchild is ลูกเลี้ยงlûuk-líang. Half-siblings are พี่น้องต่างพ่อpîi-náwng dtàang pâw, "siblings with different fathers", or ต่างแม่dtàang mâe.
The word has a second meaning: a wealthy, respected man, especially a businessman in the North, can be called พ่อเลี้ยงpâw-líang as a title.
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 liang
- por leang
- phor liang
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