กะเทย
gà-təəiMeanings
1NounB1
transgender woman; ladyboy
a transgender woman; a person assigned male at birth who identifies and presents as a woman; colloquially known as a ladyboy
Examples
พี่สาวpîi-sǎaoพี่สาวpîi-sǎaoolder sister; elder female siblingของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnmy; mineเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)กะเทยgà-təəiกะเทยgà-təəi1transgender woman; ladyboy2effeminate gay man3intersex person or animal; hermaphroditeที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerสวยsǔuaiสวยsǔuai1beautiful; pretty2nicely done; fine3beautifully; nicely; neatlyและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)เก่งมากgèng-mâakเก่งมากgèng-mâak1very good (at [sth]); highly skilled2well done!; great job!
My older sister is a very beautiful and smart trans woman.
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กะเทยgà-təəiไทยtaiหลายคนlǎai-konนิยมní-yomเข้าร่วมkâo-rûuamการประกวดgaan-bprà-gùuatนางงามnaang-ngaamเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaแสดงsà-dɛɛngความสามารถkwaam-sǎa-mâatให้hâiโลกlôokเห็นhěn
Many Thai trans women like to participate in beauty pageants to show their talents to the world.
สังคมsǎng-komในปัจจุบันnai-bpàt-jù-banเปิดกว้างbpə̀ət-gwâangและlɛ́ให้hâiการยอมรับgaan-yɔɔm-rápกะเทยgà-təəiในnaiการทำงานgaan-tam-ngaanมากกว่าmâak-gwàaในอดีตnai-à-dìitอย่างเห็นได้ชัดyàang-hěn-dâai-chát
Society today is clearly more open and accepting of transgender women in the workplace than in the past.
กลุ่มglùmกะเทยgà-təəiและlɛ́นักnákขับเคลื่อนkàp-klʉ̂ʉanสิทธิมนุษยชนsìt-tí-má-nút-sà-yá-chonกำลังgam-langเรียกร้องrîiak-rɔ́ɔngสิทธิ์sìtทางกฎหมายtaang-gòt-mǎaiในnaiการเปลี่ยนgaan-bplìianคำนำหน้านามkam-nam-nâa-naamบนbonบัตรประชาชนbàt-bprà-chaa-chon
Transgender women and human rights activists are advocating for the legal right to change their title prefix on identity cards.
2NounB2
effeminate gay man
an effeminate gay man
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)กะเทยgà-təəiกะเทยgà-təəi1transgender woman; ladyboy2effeminate gay man3intersex person or animal; hermaphroditeที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoท่าทีtâa-tiiท่าทีtâa-tii1attitude; stance2demeanor; manner3sign; indicationตุ้งติ้งdtûng-dtîngตุ้งติ้งdtûng-dtîng1effeminate; camp2dangling ornament; pendant3dangling; swayingแต่dtɛ̀ɛแต่dtɛ̀ɛ1but; however (contrast)2only; just (restriction)3from; since (starting point)ก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerยังyangยังyang1still; continuing2not yet (with ไม่)3yet? (question use)4still/even (emphatic degree)5to; towardใส่sàiใส่sài1[to] put in; [to] add2[to] wear; [to] put on3[to] include; [to] insert (data, settings)4[to] attack; [to] go at (colloq.)ชุดchútชุดchút1set; collection2outfit; suit; uniform3classifier for sets/outfits/equipment4series; batchนักเรียนnák-riianนักเรียนnák-riianschool student; pupilชายchaaiชายchaai1man; male person2male sex3male; masculine4edge; brim; hem; shoreมาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerโรงเรียนroong-riianโรงเรียนroong-riian1school (institution)2school (building)ตามdtaamตามdtaam1[to] follow; go after2according to; in accordance with3after; behind; in pursuit of4[to] comply with; abide by; obey5along; along (a path); following (direction)6[to] send for; fetch [sb]7[to] light; kindle (literary)กฎระเบียบgòt-rá-bìiapกฎระเบียบgòt-rá-bìiaprules and regulations
He is an effeminate gay boy with campy mannerisms, but he still wears a male student uniform to school according to the rules.
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เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnเป็นbpenกะเทยgà-təəiที่tîiถึงแม้จะtʉ̌ng-mɛ́ɛ-jàแต่งตัวdtɛ̀ng-dtuuaเป็นbpenผู้ชายpûu-chaaiแต่dtɛ̀ɛก็gɔ̂มีmiiจริตจะก้านjà-rìt-jà-gâanน่ารักnâa-rákและlɛ́มักจะmák-jàสร้างsâangเสียงหัวเราะsǐiang-hǔua-rɔ́ให้กับhâi-gàpทุกคนtúk-konในกลุ่มnai-glùmเสมอsà-mə̌ə
My friend is an effeminate gay man who, despite dressing as a man, has cute mannerisms and always makes everyone in the group laugh.
เขาkăoเป็นbpenกะเทยgà-toeyที่têeชอบchôpผู้ชายpôo chaaiด้วยกันdûuai ganและláeมีmeeนิสัยní-săiออกòkสาวsăaoแต่dtàeก็gâwยังyangพอใจpo jaiในnaiสรีระsà-ree-ráร่างกายrâang gaaiแบบbàepผู้ชายpôo chaaiของkŏngตนเองdton ayng
He is an effeminate gay man who likes men and has feminine traits, but is still satisfied with his male physique.
พิธีกรpí-tee-gonชายchaaiคนkonนั้นnánมักจะmák jàเรียกตัวrîiak dtuuaเองayngขำๆkăm kămว่าwâaเป็นbpenกะเทยgà-toeyเวลาที่way-laa têeเขาkăoแสดงท่าทางsà-daeng tâa taangตุ้งติ้งdtûng-dtîngในnaiรายการraai gaan
That male host often jokingly calls himself a katoey when he acts effeminate on the show.
3NounC1
intersex person or animal; hermaphrodite
an intersex person or animal; a person or animal with both male and female sex characteristics. “Hermaphrodite” is dated or offensive when used for people.
Examples
มะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔมะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔ1papaya (fruit)2papaya treeต้นdtônต้นdtôn1tree; plant2beginning; early3origin; source; root cause4stem; trunk; stalk; base5classifier: trees; plants; poles6initial; primary (as prefix)นี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)เป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)กะเทยgà-təəiกะเทยgà-təəi1transgender woman; ladyboy2effeminate gay man3intersex person or animal; hermaphroditeจึงjʉngจึงjʉng1therefore; so; thus2only then; then (as a result)สามารถsǎa-mâatสามารถsǎa-mâat1able; capable2talented; competentติดผลdtìt-pǒnติดผลdtìt-pǒn[to] bear fruit; [to] set fruitได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action markerเองeengเองeeng1oneself; personally; by oneself2only; just; merely3exactly that/itselfโดยdooiโดยdooi1by; via; through2in a ... way; -ly3according to; in accordance withไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ng1don't have to; no need to2no need to; don't have to; don't3don't; no needผสมpà-sǒmผสมpà-sǒm1[to] mix; blend [sth]2mixed; blended; hybrid3[to] breed; mate; crossbreedเกสรgee-sɔ̌ɔnเกสรgee-sɔ̌ɔn1pollen; flower pollen2stamen; pistil (flower reproductive parts)กับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)ต้นdtônต้นdtôn1tree; plant2beginning; early3origin; source; root cause4stem; trunk; stalk; base5classifier: trees; plants; poles6initial; primary (as prefix)อื่นʉ̀ʉnอื่นʉ̀ʉn1other; different; else2other; another
This papaya tree is a hermaphrodite, so it can bear fruit by itself without cross-pollinating with another tree.
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ในnaiทางชีววิทยาtaang-chii-wá-wít-tá-yaaสัตว์sàtที่tîiเป็นbpenกะเทยgà-təəiจะมีjà-miiอวัยวะสืบพันธุ์à-wai-yá-wá-sʉ̀ʉp-panของkɔ̌ɔngทั้งtángเพศผู้pêet-pûuและlɛ́เพศเมียpêet-miiaอยู่ในตัวyùu-nai-dtuuaเดียวกันdiiao-gan
In biology, a hermaphroditic animal has both male and female reproductive organs in the same individual.
ในอดีตnai-à-dìitตำราแพทย์dtam-raa-pɛ̂ɛtบางbaangเล่มlêmใช้cháiคำว่าkam-wâaกะเทยgà-təəiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaอธิบายถึงà-tí-baai-tʉ̌ngบุคคลbùk-konที่tîiมีmiiภาวะpaa-wáเพศpêetกำกวมgam-guuamหรือrʉ̌ʉมีmiiอวัยวะเพศà-wai-yá-wá-pêetทั้งสองtáng-sɔ̌ɔngแบบbɛ̀ɛp
In the past, some medical texts used the term "katoey" to describe individuals with ambiguous genitalia or both types of sex organs.
ไส้เดือนsâi-dʉʉanและlɛ́ปลิงbplingเป็นbpenตัวอย่างdtuua-yàangของkɔ̌ɔngสัตว์sàtที่tîiเป็นbpenกะเทยgà-təəiแท้tɛ́ɛในnaiธรรมชาติtam-má-châatเนื่องจากnʉ̂ʉang-jàakพวกมันpûuak-manสามารถsǎa-mâatสร้างsâangได้dâaiทั้งtángสเปิร์มsà-bpəəmและlɛ́ไข่kài
Earthworms and leeches are examples of true hermaphrodites in nature because they can produce both sperm and eggs.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableA short vowel with no final consonant, so it is dead.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Low tone
gà
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
Mid class + No tone mark + Dead syllable → Low
Tone chart
Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.
| Mid class | High class | Low class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mark + live | Mid | Rising | Mid |
| No mark + dead short | Low | Low | High |
| No mark + dead long | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai ek | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai tho | Falling | Falling | High |
| Mai tri | High | — | — |
| Mai chattawa | Rising | — | — |