ผีพราย
pǐi-praaiMeaning
1NounB2
water spirit; water ghost
a ghost or spirit in Thai folklore, often linked to water; said to live in or control water and to lure, trouble, or drown people; in some tales, it is the spirit of someone who drowned.
Examples
คนแก่kon-gɛ̀ɛคนแก่kon-gɛ̀ɛelderly person; old personคนเฒ่าkon-tâoคนเฒ่าkon-tâoold person; elderly person; elderเชื่อว่าchʉ̂ʉa-wâaเชื่อว่าchʉ̂ʉa-wâa[to] believe (that) ...ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)คลองklɔɔngคลองklɔɔng1canal2classifier: canals/ditches3natural waterway; stream; creekสายsǎaiสายsǎai1late (in the day); running late2morning (late morning period)3line; wire; cable4route; line (transport/communication)5classifier for long, line-like things (roads, rivers, canals, routes, strands)6informant; spy; secret agent7phone call8string; strap; band9lineage; affiliation; branchนี้níiนี้níi1this2this oneมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoผีพรายpǐi-praaiผีพรายpǐi-praaiwater spirit; water ghostอาศัยอยู่aa-sǎi-yùuอาศัยอยู่aa-sǎi-yùu[to] live; reside; dwell; inhabitจึงjʉngจึงjʉng1therefore; so; thus2only then; then (as a result)ไม่มีmâi-miiไม่มีmâi-mii1to not have; lack2there is/are not; does/do not exist3[reply] we don't have it; out of stockใครkraiใครkrai1who2anyone; whoeverกล้าglâaกล้าglâa1brave; courageous2to dare3seedling; young plant4bravely; boldlyลงเล่นlong-lênลงเล่นlong-lên[to] enter a game to playน้ำnáamน้ำnáam1water2liquid; fluid3juice; extract4sauce; broth5bodily fluid (in compounds)6served with broth7empty words; fillerตอนกลางคืนdtɔɔn-glaang-kʉʉnตอนกลางคืนdtɔɔn-glaang-kʉʉn1at night; during the night2nighttime; the night period
Old folks believe a water spirit lives in this canal, so no one dares to swim in it at night.
3 more examplesShow less
นิทานní-taanเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangนี้níiเล่าถึงlâo-tʉ̌ngชายchaaiคนหนึ่งkon-nʉ̀ngที่tîiถูกtùukผีพรายpǐi-praaiหลอกlɔ̀ɔkให้hâiพายเรือpaai-rʉʉaไปbpaiกลางglaangบึงbʉngแล้วlɛ́ɛoจมน้ำjom-náamตายdtaai
This tale is about a man who was lured by a water spirit to row his boat to the middle of the swamp and drown.
ตามdtaamความเชื่อโบราณkwaam-chʉ̂ʉa-boo-raanผีพรายpǐi-praaiคือkʉʉวิญญาณwin-yaanของkɔ̌ɔngผู้ที่pûu-tîiเสียชีวิตsǐia-chii-wítในnaiน้ำnáamซึ่งsʉ̂ngจะjàคอยkɔɔiฉุดchùtดึงdʉngคนอื่นkon-ʉ̀ʉnให้hâiลงไปlong-bpaiเป็นbpenตัวตายตัวแทนdtuua-dtaai-dtuua-tɛɛn
According to ancient beliefs, a 'phi phrai' is the spirit of someone who died in the water, which will try to pull others down to be its replacement.
การปรากฏตัวgaan-bpraa-gòt-dtuuaของkɔ̌ɔngผีพรายpǐi-praaiในnaiวรรณคดีwan-ná-ká-diiมักmákเชื่อมโยงchʉ̂ʉam-yoongกับgàpอันตรายan-dtà-raaiที่tîiแฝงอยู่fɛ̌ɛng-yùuในnaiแหล่งน้ำlɛ̀ng-náamธรรมชาติtam-má-châatและlɛ́เป็นbpenเครื่องเตือนใจkrʉ̂ʉang-dtʉʉan-jaiให้hâiผู้คนpûu-konระมัดระวังrá-mát-rá-wang
The appearance of 'phi phrai' in literature is often linked to the hidden dangers in natural bodies of water and serves as a reminder for people to be cautious.
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 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 | — | — |
Word Breakdown
+
พรายpraaiพรายpraai1water spirit; ghost (folklore)2shimmer; glimmer (faint light on water/objects)3shimmering; glimmering (soft light)4small bubbles in waterwater spirit; ghost (folklore)Part 2
ผีพรายpǐi-praaiผีพรายpǐi-praaiwater spirit; water ghostwater spirit; water ghostWord