ม่า

mâa

Meanings

1NounA2

grandmother (colloq., Sino-Thai)

A shortened form of อาม่าอาม่าaa-mâa1paternal grandmother (in a family of Chinese descent)2an elderly woman (as a term of address), used to refer to or address one's grandmother in Sino-Thai families.

Examples

ม่าmâaม่าmâa1grandmother (colloq., Sino-Thai)2drama (clipped slang)นั่งnângนั่งnâng1[to] sit; sit down2[to] take; ride [sth] (vehicle)กินข้าวgin-kâaoกินข้าวgin-kâao1[to] have a meal; eat (general)2[to] eat rice (literal)กับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)หลานlǎanหลานlǎan1grandchild2niece or nephew
Grandma is sitting and eating with her grandchild.
3 more examples
เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanม่าmâaพาpaaหลานlǎanไปbpaiซื้อsʉ́ʉขนมkà-nǒm
Yesterday Grandma took her grandchild to buy some snacks.
ม่าmâaเล่าเรื่องlâo-rʉ̂ʉangตอนdtɔɔnพ่อpɔ̂ɔยังyangเด็กdèkให้hâiหนูnǔuฟังfangหน่อยnɔ̀i
Grandma, tell me about when Dad was little.
พอถึงpɔɔ-tʉ̌ngวันตรุษจีนwan-dtrùt-jiinพ่อpɔ̂ɔก็gɔ̂พาpaaพวกเราpûuak-raoไปไหว้bpai-wâiม่าmâaแล้วlɛ́ɛoอยู่yùuกินข้าวgin-kâaoด้วยกันdûuai-gan
At Chinese New Year, Dad takes us to pay our respects to Grandma, and we stay for a meal together.
2NounB1

drama (clipped slang)

A clipped slang form of “ดราม่าดราม่าdraa-mâa1overblown emotional fuss; online drama (slang)2drama (genre)” (drama), referring to fuss, conflict, or attention-seeking emotional posts on social media.

Examples

เมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉnเมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉn1last night (the night before today)2last nightกลุ่มเราglùm-raoกลุ่มเราglùm-raoour groupมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoม่าmâaม่าmâa1grandmother (colloq., Sino-Thai)2drama (clipped slang)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ทวิตtá-wítทวิตtá-wít1[to] tweet; post on X2a tweet; post on Xคนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: peopleเถียงกันtǐiang-ganเถียงกันtǐiang-gan[to] argue; quarrel; bicker (with each other)ยาวyaaoยาวyaao1long (length)2long (duration)3[to] grow long; become longerเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceed
Last night our group had drama on Twitter; people argued for a long time.
3 more examples
ฉันchǎnเลิกlə̂əkคอมเมนต์kɔm-ménแล้วlɛ́ɛoเพราะprɔ́ไม่mâiอยากyàakไปbpaiเติมdtəəmม่าmâaให้hâiกระทู้grà-túuร้อนrɔ́ɔnนั้นnán
I stopped commenting because I don’t want to add more drama to that hot thread.
เขาkăoชอบchôpโพสต์póhtยั่วyûuaๆ-ให้hâiคนkonด่าdàaเพื่อให้pêuua hâiมีmeeม่าmâaแล้วláeoยอดฟอลyôt fonเพิ่มpêrm
He likes to post provocative stuff to get hate so there’s drama and his followers increase.
ช่วงนี้chûuang-níiไทม์ไลน์tai-laaiเงียบngîiapดีdiiพอpɔɔมีmiiม่าmâaโผล่plòoมาmaaทีtiiทุกคนtúk-konก็gɔ̂รีโพสต์rii-póotรวดเดียวrûuat-diiaoจนjonฟีดfîitแตกdtɛ̀ɛk
Lately the timeline’s been quiet, but once drama pops up, everyone reposts at once and the feed explodes.

Tones

See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.

How the tone is decided

  1. Consonant classLow class
  2. Tone markMai ek
  3. Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.

Low class consonants

คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ

Result

Falling tone

mâa

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 classHigh classLow class
No mark + liveMidRisingMid
No mark + dead shortLowLowHigh
No mark + dead longLowLowFalling
Mai ekLowLowFalling
Mai thoFallingFallingHigh
Mai triHigh——
Mai chattawaRising——