ชี
chiiMeanings
1NounB1
maechi; Buddhist nun (Thailand)
A Thai Buddhist laywoman who observes eight or more precepts and wears white robes; commonly called maechi.
Examples
ที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerวัดwátวัดwát1to measure2Buddhist temple3to gauge; assessแถวบ้านtɛ̌ɛo-bâanแถวบ้านtɛ̌ɛo-bâanneighborhood; local areaมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoชีchiiชีchii1maechi; Buddhist nun (Thailand)2Catholic/Christian nun (colloquial)หลายlǎaiหลายlǎaimany; severalรูปrûupรูปrûup1picture; photo; image2shape; form; figure3physique; body shape4statue; sculpted image; figure5grammatical formปฏิบัติbpà-dtì-bàtปฏิบัติbpà-dtì-bàt1[to] perform; carry out2[to] practice; observe (rules)3[to] treat [sb]ศีลแปดsǐin-bpɛ̀ɛtศีลแปดsǐin-bpɛ̀ɛtthe Eight Precepts (Buddhism)และlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)ใส่sàiใส่sài1[to] put in; [to] add2[to] wear; [to] put on3[to] include; [to] insert (data, settings)4[to] attack; [to] go at (colloq.)ชุดขาวchút-kǎaoชุดขาวchút-kǎao1white outfit2white robes (for temple)3white formal uniform (official)
At the temple near my house, there are several maechi observing the eight precepts and wearing white.
3 more examplesShow less
แม่mɛ̂ɛพาpaaฉันchǎnไปbpaiทำบุญtam-bunและlɛ́ฟังfangชีchiiสอนsɔ̌ɔnเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangการเจริญสติgaan-jà-rəən-sà-dtìในnaiชีวิตประจำวันchii-wít-bprà-jam-wan
My mother took me to make merit and listen to a maechi teach about mindfulness in daily life.
ช่วงchûuangออกพรรษาɔ̀ɔk-pan-sǎaชีchiiจากjàakหลายlǎaiสำนักsǎm-nákมาmaaร่วมrûuamปฏิบัติธรรมbpà-dtì-bàt-tamและlɛ́ให้hâiธรรมะtam-máกับgàpญาติโยมyâat-yoom
During the end of Buddhist Lent, maechi from many centers came to practice together and give teachings to laypeople.
แม้mɛ́ɛชีchiiไม่ได้mâi-dâaiบวชbùuatแบบbɛ̀ɛpภิกษุณีpík-sù-niiแต่dtɛ̀ɛท่านtânก็gɔ̂ตั้งใจdtâng-jaiรักษาศีลrák-sǎa-sǐinเคร่งครัดkrêeng-krátและlɛ́ทำงานtam-ngaanรับใช้ráp-cháiวัดwátอย่างสม่ำเสมอyàang-sà-màm-sà-mə̌ə
Even though maechi are not ordained as bhikkhuni, they strictly observe precepts and consistently serve the temple.
2NounB2
Catholic/Christian nun (colloquial)
A colloquial Thai term for a Christian (often Catholic) nun; informal and not the formal title.
Examples
โรงเรียนคาทอลิกrohng-riian kaa-tor-líkโรงเรียนคาทอลิกrohng-riian kaa-tor-líkCatholic schoolแถวบ้านtăeo bâanแถวบ้านtăeo bâanneighborhood; local areaมีmeeมีmee1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoชีcheeชีchee1maechi; Buddhist nun (Thailand)2Catholic/Christian nun (colloquial)มาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerสอนsŏnสอนsŏn1[to] teach [sb] [sth]2[to] instruct; train [sb]3[to] admonish; give moral guidanceดนตรีdon-dtreeดนตรีdon-dtree1music (art form)2music (as a subject/field)ให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3[to] have [sb] do; cause to4for (benefit of)5so that; in order to6until; to the point that (result)เด็กdèkเด็กdèk1child; kid2young person (informal)ๆ-ทุกtúkทุกtúk1every; each2every (interval/frequency)วันเสาร์wan săoวันเสาร์wan săoSaturday
The Catholic school near my house has nuns teaching music to kids every Saturday.
3 more examplesShow less
ตอนเด็กdtɔɔn-dèkฉันchǎnเคยkəəiคุยkuiกับgàpชีchiiที่tîiโบสถ์bòotเธอtəəใจดีjai-diiและlɛ́เล่าเรื่องlâo-rʉ̂ʉangพระเยซูprá-yee-suuให้hâiฟังfang
When I was a child, I talked with a nun at church; she was kind and told me stories about Jesus.
ในnaiละครlá-kɔɔnเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangนั้นnánชีchiiตัวเอกdtuua-èekต้องเลือกdtɔ̂ng-lʉ̂ʉakระหว่างrá-wàangการรับใช้gaan-ráp-cháiศาสนาsàat-sà-nǎaกับgàpการช่วยเหลือgaan-chûuai-lʉ̌ʉaชุมชนchum-chonยากจนyâak-jon
In that drama, the main nun has to choose between serving the religion and helping an impoverished community.
เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanฉันchǎnไปbpaiอาสาaa-sǎaที่tîiบ้านพักbâan-pákของkɔ̌ɔngชีchiiและlɛ́พบว่าpóp-wâaชีchiiหลายท่านlǎai-tânทำtamงานสังคมngaan-sǎng-komอย่างหนักyàang-nàkอยู่เบื้องหลังyùu-bʉ̂ʉang-lǎng
My friend volunteered at the nuns’ residence and found that many of them work hard on social causes behind the scenes.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableA long vowel with no final consonant, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
chii
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Low class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Mid
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 | — | — |