Describing things ขี้เหนียว kîi-nǐaw
stingy, tight-fisted adjective
- kîi falling
- nǐaw rising
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
Parts: ขี้kîi prone to (before a habit or trait) เหนียวnǐaw sticky, chewy
How to use it
ขี้เหนียวkîi-nǐaw is stingy, literally "sticky", the same เหนียวnǐaw as in ข้าวเหนียวkâao-nǐaw, sticky rice. It's a common tease between friends when the bill arrives. Careful with English "cheap": ถูกtùuk is for prices, never for people.
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:
- khi niao
- kee neow
- khiniao
- ki niaw
- kee niew
More describing things in Thai
All describing things
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones