ผี
pǐiMeaning
1NounA2
ghost; spirit
a spirit of a dead person or a supernatural being believed to appear to or affect the living
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเชื่อว่าchʉ̂ʉa-wâaเชื่อว่าchʉ̂ʉa-wâa[to] believe (that) ...มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoผีpǐiผีpǐighost; spiritป่าbpàaป่าbpàa1forest; woodland2the wild; wilderness3wild; undomesticated; uncultivatedเฝ้าfâoเฝ้าfâo1[to] watch over; guard; keep; monitor2[to] attend; sit by; keep vigil3keep (doing); continually4[to] await; watch forต้นไม้ใหญ่dtôn-máai-yàiต้นไม้ใหญ่dtôn-máai-yàilarge tree; big treeจึงjʉngจึงjʉng1therefore; so; thus2only then; then (as a result)ไหว้wâiไหว้wâi1[to] wai; pay respect with palms together2wai (gesture)ขออนุญาตkɔ̌ɔ-à-nú-yâatขออนุญาตkɔ̌ɔ-à-nú-yâat1[to] ask for permission2excuse me (seeking permission)ก่อนgɔ̀ɔnก่อนgɔ̀ɔn1before; earlier; previously; first2previous; prior; formerเข้าไปkâo-bpaiเข้าไปkâo-bpai1[to] go in; enter (away from the speaker)2directional complement: into; in (away from speaker)ตัดdtàtตัดdtàt1[to] cut2[to] trim; clip3[to] cut off; turn off; disconnect4[to] eliminate; remove5[to] edit; cut (media/text)6[to] deduct7[to] cross (a path); cut across
He believes there is a forest spirit guarding the big tree, so he pays respect before cutting it.
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พี่ชายpîi-chaaiฉันchǎnเป็นbpenผีpǐiงานngaanตื่นdtʉ̀ʉnเช้าcháoมาmaaก็gɔ̂เปิดbpə̀ətคอมkɔmทำงานtam-ngaanจนดึกjon-dʉ̀kทุกวันtúk-wan
My older brother is a workaholic; he turns on his computer early and works late every day.
ชาวบ้านchaao-bâanเล่าlâoว่าwâaมีmiiผีเจ้าที่pǐi-jâao-tîiคอยkɔɔiคุ้มครองkúm-krɔɔngหมู่บ้านmùu-bâanจึงjʉngไม่มีmâi-miiใครkraiกล้าglâaทำtamสิ่งsìngไม่ดีmâi-diiในnaiศาลsǎan
Villagers say a guardian spirit protects the village, so no one dares do anything improper at the shrine.
เขาkǎoเป็นbpenผีpǐiวิ่งwîngตัวจริงdtuua-jingถึงtʉ̌ngฝนตกfǒn-dtòkก็gɔ̂ยังyangออกไปɔ̀ɔk-bpaiซ้อมsɔ́ɔmมาราธอนmaa-raa-tɔɔnทุกเช้าtúk-cháao
He’s a real running fanatic; even when it rains he still trains for marathons every morning.
Last night I dreamed a ghost came to haunt me.
He said he saw a female ghost walking in front of the temple late at night.
คนkonในnaiหมู่บ้านmùu-bâanเชื่อว่าchʉ̂ʉa-wâaผีpǐiสิงบ้านsǐng-bâanหลังlǎngนั้นnánมาmaaนานแล้วnaan-lɛ́ɛo
People in the village believe that the house has been possessed by a ghost for a long time.
พอpɔɔเปิดbpə̀ətประตูbprà-dtuuห้องเก็บของhɔ̂ng-gèp-kɔ̌ɔngก็ได้gɔ̂-dâaiกลิ่นธูปลอยglìn-tûup-lɔɔiมาmaaเขาkǎoว่าwâaผีpǐiอาจจะàat-jàมาเยี่ยมmaa-yîiam
As soon as we opened the storage room door, the smell of incense drifted out; they said a ghost might have visited.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableA long vowel with no final consonant, so it is live.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Rising tone
pǐi
Dips low first, then rises clearly.
High class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Rising
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 | — | — |