เลี้ยง
líiangMeanings
1VerbA2
[to] raise; bring up
to care for and raise a person or animal over time
Examples
พ่อแม่pɔ̂ɔ-mɛ̂ɛพ่อแม่pɔ̂ɔ-mɛ̂ɛparentsเลี้ยงลูกlíiang-lûukเลี้ยงลูกlíiang-lûuk[to] raise a childด้วยdûuaiด้วยdûuai1with; together with2also; too; as well3by; by means of; using4because of; due to5because; since (formal/literary)6request particle; please; tooความรักkwaam-rákความรักkwaam-rák1love; affection2romance; romantic relationshipทุกวันtúk-wanทุกวันtúk-wan1every day; daily2daily; occurring every day
Parents care for and raise their child with love every day.
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My grandmother has cared for and raised me from childhood to adulthood.
เขาkǎoตั้งใจเลี้ยงdtâng-jai-líiangดูduuสุนัขsù-nákตัวdtuuaนี้níiตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛเล็กlékจนjonโตdtoo
He intends to care for and raise this dog from puppyhood to adulthood.
พี่สาวpîi-sǎaoยอมyɔɔmทำงานtam-ngaanสองsɔ̌ɔngที่tîiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเลี้ยงlíiangน้องชายnɔ́ɔng-chaaiให้hâiเรียนจบriian-jòpและlɛ́มีmiiอนาคตà-naa-kótที่ดีtîi-dii
My older sister works two jobs to care for and raise her younger brother so he can graduate and have a good future.
2VerbA2
[to] keep (as a pet); rear
to keep an animal as a pet or to rear animals
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)เลี้ยงแมวlíiang-mɛɛoเลี้ยงแมวlíiang-mɛɛo[to] keep/raise a catหนึ่งnʉ̀ngหนึ่งnʉ̀ng1one (number)2a; one; a single3a certain; a particular4first; top; foremostตัวdtuuaตัวdtuua1body; self; person (colloq.)2classifier: animals, garments, furniture, certain items; people (informal)3character; figure
I have one cat.
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When I was little, our family kept chickens in the backyard.
Tomorrow he will buy a cage to keep a pair of birds.
ลุงlungตั้งใจเลี้ยงdtâng jai líiangแพะpáeเพิ่มpêrmเพื่อpêuuaขยายkà-yăaiฝูงfǔngในnaiฟาร์มfaamเล็กๆlék lékของเขาkŏng kăo
My uncle plans to raise more goats to expand the herd on his small farm.
3VerbA2
[to] feed
to give food to somebody or something; to provide nourishment
Examples
แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseเลี้ยงข้าวlíiang-kâaoเลี้ยงข้าวlíiang-kâao[to] treat [sb] to a mealลูกlûukลูกlûuk1child; son; daughter2offspring (of animals); young3ball; spherical object4fruit5classifier: fruits, balls, and certain other objectsตอนเช้าdtɔɔn-cháoตอนเช้าdtɔɔn-cháo1morning (time period)2in the morning
Mom gives the kids rice in the morning
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Yesterday I fed the cat at five in the evening
Tomorrow he will give food to the patients at the hospital
อาสาสมัครaa-sǎa-sà-màkผลัดกันplàt-ganเลี้ยงlíiangอาหารaa-hǎanคนไร้บ้านkon-rái-bâanเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiทุกคนtúk-konได้dâaiอิ่มìmท้องtɔ́ɔng
The volunteers take turns feeding the homeless so everyone can be full
4VerbB1
[to] support; maintain
to provide for someone’s living or expenses; to sustain
Examples
พ่อแม่pɔ̂ɔ-mɛ̂ɛพ่อแม่pɔ̂ɔ-mɛ̂ɛparentsทำงานหนักtam-ngaan-nàkทำงานหนักtam-ngaan-nàk1[to] work hard2[to] be under heavy loadเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉa1for; in order to2for the sake of; on behalf ofเลี้ยงลูกlíiang-lûukเลี้ยงลูกlíiang-lûuk[to] raise a childให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3to; for [sb] (recipient)4[to] have [sb] do; cause to5for (benefit of)6so that; in order to7until; to the point that (result)เรียนจบriian-jòpเรียนจบriian-jòp[to] graduate; complete one's studies
Parents work hard to provide for their children so they can finish school.
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เขาkǎoทำงานtam-ngaanสองsɔ̌ɔngที่tîiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเลี้ยงครอบครัวlíiang-krɔ̂ɔp-kruuaและlɛ́ผ่อนpɔ̀ɔnบ้านbâanให้hâiทันเวลาtan-wee-laa
He works two jobs to support his family and make the mortgage payments on time.
ช่วงchûuangตกงานdtòk-ngaanเธอtəəใช้cháiเงินเก็บngən-gèpเลี้ยงตัวlíiang-dtuuaเองeengจนกว่าจะjon-gwàa-jàได้dâaiงานngaanใหม่mài
During unemployment, she used her savings to sustain herself until she found a new job.
รายได้raai dâiจากjàakร้านráanเล็กlékๆ-ยังyangไม่mâiพอเลี้ยงpor líiangกิจการgìt-jà-gaanต้องdtôngคุมkumค่าใช้จ่ายkâa chái jàaiอย่างเข้มงวดyàang kêm ngûuat
The income from the small shop isn’t enough to sustain the business; expenses must be tightly controlled.
5VerbB1
[to] host; treat
to host or pay for food, drinks, or a celebration for others
Examples
พรุ่งนี้prûng-néeพรุ่งนี้prûng-née1tomorrow (the day after today)2tomorrow; on the day after todayฉันchănฉันchăn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)เลี้ยงข้าวlíiang kâaoเลี้ยงข้าวlíiang kâao[to] treat [sb] to a mealเพื่อนๆpêuuan pêuuanเพื่อนๆpêuuan pêuuanfriends (plural)เพราะpráwเพราะpráw1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingฉันchănฉันchăn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ได้dâiได้dâi1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action markerงานngaanงานngaan1work; job; employment2task; assignment; duty3event; fair; function4work (product); creation5unit (classifier) for events6work (physics)ใหม่màiใหม่mài1new; not old2new; different; fresh3again; anew4new; inexperienced (novice)5hibiscus (Northern Thai)
Tomorrow I’ll treat my friends to a meal because I got a new job.
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เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanหัวหน้าhǔua-nâaเลี้ยงlíiangกาแฟgaa-fɛɛทีมtiimเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaขอบคุณที่ช่วยkɔ̀ɔp-kun-tîi-chûuaiงานngaanโครงการkroong-gaan
Yesterday the boss treated the team to coffee to thank us for helping with the project.
เดี๋ยวdǐiaoฉันchǎnเลี้ยงlíiangเองeengไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngเกรงใจgreeng-jaiวันนี้wan-níiเป็นbpenวันเกิดwan-gə̀ətฉันchǎn
I’ll pay for everyone, don’t be shy; it’s my birthday today.
ครบรอบkróp-rɔ̂ɔpสิบsìpปีbpiiบริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtเราraoตั้งใจเลี้ยงdtâng-jai-líiangบุฟเฟต์bùp-feeให้hâiพนักงานpá-nák-ngaanและlɛ́ครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaทุกคนtúk-kon
For the company’s tenth anniversary, we plan to host a buffet for all employees and their families.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
líiang
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + Mai tho → High
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 | — | — |