อี
iiMeanings
1NounB2
vulgar female prefix
A coarse or derogatory prefix placed before a woman’s name or a female noun, expressing contempt or insult.
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเรียกrîiakเรียกrîiak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demandเธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herขึ้นต้นkʉ̂n-dtônขึ้นต้นkʉ̂n-dtôn1[to] begin; start (text/speech/letter)2[to] begin with (a letter/word/phrase)ด้วยdûuaiด้วยdûuai1with; together with2also; too; as well3by; by means of; using4because of; due to5because; since (formal/literary)6request particle; please; tooคำว่าkam-wâaคำว่าkam-wâathe word/term (introductory marker)อีiiอีii1vulgar female prefix2familiar female prefix (dialectal)ซึ่งsʉ̂ngซึ่งsʉ̂ng1which; that (relative pronoun)2which/and this; introducing explanationเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)คำหยาบkam-yàapคำหยาบkam-yàap1swear word; vulgar word2vulgar language; profanityและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)ไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)ให้เกียรติhâi-gìiatให้เกียรติhâi-gìiat1[to] show respect to; honor [sb]2[to] honor by one’s presenceผู้หญิงpûu-yǐngผู้หญิงpûu-yǐng1woman; girl; female person2women's; female (as modifier)
He addressed her with the prefix ‘ee,’ which is vulgar and disrespectful to women.
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อย่าyàaขึ้นต้นkʉ̂n-dtônชื่อchʉ̂ʉผู้หญิงpûu-yǐngด้วยdûuaiคำว่าkam-wâaอีiiเลยləəiมันmanดูduuหยาบคายyàap-kaaiและlɛ́ทำร้ายtam-ráaiความรู้สึกkwaam-rúu-sʉ̀k
Don’t start a woman’s name with ‘ee’; it’s rude and hurtful.
คำว่าkam-wâaอีiiเป็นbpenคำขึ้นต้นkam-kʉ̂n-dtônเชิงchəəngดูถูกduu-tùukที่tîiคนไทยkon-taiมองว่าmɔɔng-wâaเหยียดหยามyìiat-yǎamจึงjʉngไม่ควรmâi-kuuanใช้cháiในnaiทุกtúkบริบทbɔɔ-rí-bòt
The word ‘ee’ is a contemptuous prefix that Thais consider derogatory, so it should not be used in any context.
แม้mɛ́ɛบางbaangพื้นที่pʉ́ʉn-tîiจะjàได้ยินdâi-yinคำว่าkam-wâaอีiiในnaiบทสนทนาbòt-sǒn-tá-naaแต่dtɛ̀ɛในnaiสังคมsǎng-komทั่วไปtûua-bpaiถือว่าtʉ̌ʉ-wâaเป็นbpenการดูหมิ่นgaan-duu-mìnผู้หญิงpûu-yǐngอย่างชัดเจนyàang-chát-jeen
Even though you may hear ‘ee’ in conversations in some areas, in general society it is clearly insulting to women.
2NounC1
familiar female prefix (dialectal)
A prefix used before female names in some regional or familiar speech; not necessarily insulting locally, though often offensive in standard Thai.
Examples
ชาวบ้านchaao-bâanชาวบ้านchaao-bâan1villagers; locals; rural residents2ordinary people; laypeople; the public3folksy; colloquial; plain (as a modifier)เรียกrîiakเรียกrîiak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demandอีiiอีii1vulgar female prefix2familiar female prefix (dialectal)แป้งbpɛ̂ɛngแป้งbpɛ̂ɛng1flour; starch (for cooking)2powder (cosmetic; talc)3dough; batterอย่างyàangอย่างyàang1kind; type; sort2manner; way3classifier (for kinds/types)4in the manner of; -lyสนิทสนมsà-nìt-sà-nǒmสนิทสนมsà-nìt-sà-nǒm1close; intimate (of a relationship)2[to] be close with [sb]เวลาwee-laaเวลาwee-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; dosesไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already pastตลาดdtà-làatตลาดdtà-làat1market; marketplace2market (economic demand/sector)3popular; mainstream (colloq.)เพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingรู้จักrúu-jàkรู้จักrúu-jàk1[to] know; be acquainted with2[to] recognize; identify3[to] know how; be capable (from familiarity); be prudent withกันganกันgan1together; together with2each other; one another (post-verb marker)3[to] prevent; keep [sth] out; ward off; block4protective; resistant to; -proof5I; me (informal, male speech)6[to] set aside; reserve; earmarkมาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛfrom; since (starting point)เด็กdèkเด็กdèk1child; kid2young person (informal)
The villagers casually call her “Ee-Paeng” at the market because they’ve known her since childhood.
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ในnaiวงwongเพื่อนบ้านpêuuan bâanเขาkăoมักmákติดปากdtìt bpàakเรียกrîakอีมาลีee maa-leeเวลาway-laaเมาท์máoกันganแม้máeจะjàไม่ตั้งใจmâi dtâng jaiหยาบyàapแต่dtàeก็gâwฟังfangไม่ค่อยmâi kôiสุภาพsù-pâap
Among neighbors, they habitually call her “Ee-Malee” when gossiping; they don’t mean to be vulgar, but it doesn’t sound very polite.
ยายyaaiเล่าlâoว่าwâaสมัยก่อนsà-mǎi-gɔ̀ɔnคนkonแถวนี้tɛ̌ɛo-níiเรียกrîiakผู้หญิงpûu-yǐngด้วยdûuaiคำว่าkam-wâaอีiiตามด้วยdtaam-dûuaiชื่อchʉ̂ʉเช่นchênอีสายบัวii-sǎai-buuaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaบอกbɔ̀ɔkความคุ้นเคยkwaam-kún-kəəiในnaiหมู่บ้านmùu-bâanแม้mɛ́ɛปัจจุบันbpàt-jù-banจะjàถือว่าtʉ̌ʉ-wâaไม่สุภาพmâi-sù-pâapก็ตามgɔ̂-dtaam
Grandma said that in the past, people here called women with the prefix ‘ee’ followed by the name, like ‘Ee-Saibua,’ to show familiarity in the village, though it’s considered impolite today.
เวลาwee-laaเขียนkǐianบันทึกban-tʉ́kเรื่องเล่าrʉ̂ʉang-lâoพื้นบ้านpʉ́ʉn-bâanผู้เฒ่าผู้แก่pûu-tâo-pûu-gɛ̀ɛยังyangใช้cháiสรรพนามsàp-pá-naamนำหน้าnam-nâaว่าwâaชื่อchʉ̂ʉอีiiเช่นchênอีiiเดือนdʉʉanเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaสะท้อนsà-tɔ́ɔnสีสันsǐi-sǎnของkɔ̌ɔngภาษาpaa-sǎaเมืองmʉʉangแต่dtɛ̀ɛผู้อ่านpûu-àanสมัยใหม่sà-mǎi-màiควรตระหนักkuuan-dtrà-nàkถึงtʉ̌ngความkwaamไม่เหมาะสมmâi-mɔ̀-sǒmในnaiบางbaangบริบทbɔɔ-rí-bòt
When writing down folktales, elders still use the prefix ‘ee’ before names, such as ‘Ee-Duean,’ to reflect the local linguistic color, but modern readers should be aware it can be inappropriate in some contexts.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableA long vowel with no final consonant, so it is live.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Mid tone
ii
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Mid 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 | — | — |