Describing thingsYoung in Thai
“Young” in Thai is อายุน้อยaa-yú náwy; you'll also hear เด็กdèk (still young).
young (in age) adjective
- aa mid
- yú high
- náwy high
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
young; a child, a kid noun still young
- dèk low
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
เด็กdèk is any child; ลูกlûuk is somebody's own child.
เด็กdèk is taught in Unit 20 · Lesson 1: The family of the free course.
Practise it freeHow to use it
อายุน้อยaa-yú náwy, "little age", is the neutral word: a young boss, a young team. เด็กdèk, child, is blunter: ยังเด็กyang dèk means still young, too young for something, or childish. Compliments use หนุ่มnùm, a young man, and สาวsǎao, a young woman: ยังสาวอยู่yang sǎao yùu, "still young", is a lovely thing to say to an older woman.
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:
- ayu noi
- a yu noi
- aayu noi
- ar yu noy
More describing things in Thai
All describing things
Learn this word in Unit 20, free
Unit 20 · Fon's family · The family. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.
Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones