Family แม่เลี้ยง mâe-líang
stepmother noun
- mâe 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
Parts: แม่mâe mother เลี้ยงlíang to raise, to look after
How to use it
แม่เลี้ยงmâe-líang is "the mother who raises you". Don't mix it up with แม่เลี้ยงเดี่ยวmâe líang dìaw, "a mother who raises alone": that's a single mother, and a single father is พ่อเลี้ยงเดี่ยวpâw líang dìaw.
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:
- mae leang
- mae lieng
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