พ่อ
pɔ̂ɔMeanings
1NounA1
father; dad
One's male parent; father; dad.
Examples
พ่อpɔ̂ɔพ่อpɔ̂ɔ1father; dad2sir; mister (rural/archaic)3prefix: male person; leader; father figureอยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainบ้านbâanบ้านbâan1house; home2home (family unit)3village; hometown4classifier: หลัง
Dad is at home.
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Yesterday my father took me to the market.
Tomorrow my dad will pick me up at school.
2NounB1
sir; mister (rural/archaic)
A polite or familiar address to an adult man in some regions or older usage.
Examples
เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanเมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waan1yesterday (the day before today)2yesterday; yesterday (as an adverb)ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ถามทางtǎam-taangถามทางtǎam-taang[to] ask for directionsพ่อpɔ̂ɔพ่อpɔ̂ɔ1father; dad2sir; mister (rural/archaic)3prefix: male person; leader; father figureที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerตลาดdtà-làatตลาดdtà-làat1market; marketplace2market (economic demand/sector)3popular; mainstream (colloq.)แถวบ้านtɛ̌ɛo-bâanแถวบ้านtɛ̌ɛo-bâanneighborhood; local area
Yesterday I asked Dad for directions at the market near home.
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เวลาwee-laaไปbpaiต่างจังหวัดdtàang-jang-wàtแม่ค้าmɛ̂ɛ-káaบางคนbaang-konจะjàเรียกrîiakลูกค้าlûuk-káaว่าwâaพ่อpɔ̂ɔเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaความสุภาพkwaam-sù-pâap
When going upcountry, some vendors address male customers as “phô” for politeness.
ที่tîiภาคอีสานpâak-ii-sǎanคนkonในnaiร้านráanอาจàatทักtákว่าwâaพ่อpɔ̂ɔมาเด้อmaa-də̂əเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเชิญchəənให้hâiเข้าไปkâo-bpaiนั่งnâng
In the Northeast, people in a shop might greet an adult man as “phô, come on in,” to invite him to come in and sit.
ในnaiบางbaangชุมชนชนบทchum-chon-chon-ná-bòtคำว่าkam-wâaพ่อpɔ̂ɔใช้cháiเรียกrîiakผู้ชายpûu-chaaiวัยผู้ใหญ่wai-pûu-yàiด้วยdûuaiน้ำเสียงnáam-sǐiangเอื้อเฟื้อʉ̂ʉa-fʉ́ʉaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaแสดงsà-dɛɛngความเคารพkwaam-kao-rópแบบbɛ̀ɛpเป็นกันเองbpen-gan-eeng
In some rural communities, the word 'phô' is used to address an adult man in a kindly tone, showing respectful familiarity.
3NounB1
prefix: male person; leader; father figure
Used as the first element of compounds to denote a male person performing a role, a leader, or a father figure, as in พ่อครัวพ่อครัวpɔ̂ɔ-kruuamale cook; male chef ‘male cook’ and พ่อบ้านพ่อบ้านpɔ̂ɔ-bâan1head of the household; househusband2butler; male housekeeper ‘male head of a household’.
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillอยากyàakอยากyàak1[to] want; desire2to crave; to long forเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)พ่อครัวpɔ̂ɔ-kruuaพ่อครัวpɔ̂ɔ-kruuamale cook; male chefในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ร้านráanร้านráan1shop; store2restaurant; eatery3booth; stallอาหารท้องถิ่นaa-hǎan-tɔ́ɔng-tìnอาหารท้องถิ่นaa-hǎan-tɔ́ɔng-tìnlocal food; regional cuisine; local specialties
He wants to be a male cook at a local restaurant.
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The male vendor at the market calls out to customers loudly every morning.
ทีมเราtiim-raoต้องdtɔ̂ngหาhǎaพ่อpɔ̂ɔบ้านbâanมาmaaดูแลduu-lɛɛความเรียบร้อยkwaam-rîiap-rɔ́ɔiของkɔ̌ɔngหอพักhɔ̌ɔ-pák
Our team needs to find a male housekeeper to maintain the dormitory.
โครงการkroong-gaanนี้níiต้องการdtɔ̂ng-gaanพ่อpɔ̂ɔงานngaanที่tîiมีประสบการณ์mii-bprà-sòp-gaanมาmaaคุมkumทีมtiimช่างchângให้hâiเสร็จตามกำหนดsèt-dtaam-gam-nòt
This project needs an experienced foreman to supervise the workers and meet the deadline.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Falling tone
pɔ̂ɔ
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Low class + Mai ek → Falling
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 | — | — |