แม่เฒ่า
mâe tâoMeanings
1NounA2
grandmother; elderly matriarch
grandmother or elder woman of the family; a respectful regional term for an elderly female relative
Examples
แม่เฒ่าmâe tâoแม่เฒ่าmâe tâo1grandmother; elderly matriarch2an old woman; elderly lady3wife's mother; mother-in-law (old-fashioned)นั่งnângนั่งnâng1[to] sit; sit down2[to] take; ride [sth] (vehicle)สานsăanสานsăan1[to] weave; interlace2[to] build on; carry forward; connectปลาตะเพียนbplaa dtà-piianปลาตะเพียนbplaa dtà-piiansilver barb; tinfoil barb (Barbonymus spp.)ให้hâiให้hâi1[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)หลานlăanหลานlăan1grandchild2niece or nephewดูdooดูdoo1[to] look; watch; see2[to] examine; check; inspect3[to] seem; appear4try; have a go5[to] divine; tell fortune6[to] look after; watch; mind
Grandmother sits weaving fish mobiles for her grandchild to watch.
3 more examplesShow less
Yesterday we visited grandmother at the house upcountry.
Tomorrow grandmother will cook bamboo shoot curry for the family.
แม่mâeบอกให้bòk hâiเคารพkao-rópแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoเพราะpráwท่านtâanเลี้ยงดูlíiang dooทุกคนtúk konมาmaaตั้งแต่dtâng dtàeเด็กdèk
Mom told us to respect grandmother because she has taken care of everyone since we were little.
2NounB1
an old woman; elderly lady
a very old woman; often used respectfully or in regional Thai for an elderly lady
Examples
ชาวบ้านchaao bâanชาวบ้านchaao bâan1villagers; locals; rural residents2ordinary people; laypeople; the public3folksy; colloquial; plain (as a modifier)ช่วยchûuaiช่วยchûuai1[to] help; assist [sb/sth]2please (request marker)3[to] save; rescue [sb]พาpaaพาpaa1[to] take; bring; lead [sb]2[to] lead to; result inแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoแม่เฒ่าmâe tâo1grandmother; elderly matriarch2an old woman; elderly lady3wife's mother; mother-in-law (old-fashioned)ข้ามถนนkâam tà-nŏnข้ามถนนkâam tà-nŏn[to] cross the roadอย่างระมัดระวังyàang rá-mát-rá-wangอย่างระมัดระวังyàang rá-mát-rá-wangcarefully; cautiously
The villagers carefully helped the very old lady cross the road.
3 more examplesShow less
แม่เฒ่าmâe tâoที่têeตลาดdtà-làatยังyangขายkăaiผักpàkทุกเช้าtúk cháoแม้máeอายุมากàa-yú mâakแล้วแต่láew dtàeแข็งแรงkăeng raeng
The very old lady at the market still sells vegetables every morning; though very old, she’s strong.
เราraoนั่งnângฟังfangแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoเล่าlâoนิทานพื้นบ้านní-taan péun bâanทำให้tam hâiคิดถึงkít tĕungวิถีชีวิตwí-thĭi chee-wítสมัยก่อนsà-măi gòn
We sat listening to the very old lady tell folk tales, which made us think of the old ways of life.
ชุมชนchum-chonต่างdtàangเคารพkao-rópแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoคนนี้kon néeเพราะpráwท่านtâanผ่านpàanร้อนrónผ่านpàanหนาวnăaoมาmaaมากmâakและláeให้hâiคำสอนkam sŏnได้dâiอย่างลึกซึ้งyàang lúk súeng
The community respects this very old lady because she has weathered many hardships and offers profound advice.
3NounC1
wife's mother; mother-in-law (old-fashioned)
The mother of one's wife, referred to by an old-fashioned term.
Examples
เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเรียกrîakเรียกrîak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demand4[to] draw attention; bring out a reactionแม่mâeแม่mâe1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseของkŏngของkŏng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsภรรยาpan-rá-yaaภรรยาpan-rá-yaawife (formal/neutral)ว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoแม่เฒ่าmâe tâo1grandmother; elderly matriarch2an old woman; elderly lady3wife's mother; mother-in-law (old-fashioned)และláeและláeand (coordinating)มักmákมักmák1often; usually2[to] tend to; usually [do sth]3fond of; inclined toไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already past5too; excessivelyช่วยchûuaiช่วยchûuai1[to] help; assist [sb/sth]2please (request marker)3[to] save; rescue [sb]ท่านtâanท่านtâan1you (formal/polite)2he; she (honorific)3sir; madam4honorific title5classifier (polite for persons)ทำสวนtam sŭuanทำสวนtam sŭuan1[to] garden; do gardening2[to] run/operate a garden, orchard, or plantationในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)วันหยุดwan yùtวันหยุดwan yùt1day off; rest day2public holiday3regular closing day (of a shop/business)
He calls his wife's mother 'mae thao,' an old-fashioned term for mother-in-law, and often helps her garden on his days off.
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แม้máeแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoจะjàไม่เคยmâi koieเห็นด้วยhĕn dûuaiกับgàpการแต่งงานgaan dtàeng-ngaanของkŏngลูกสาวlôok săaoแต่dtàeเมื่อmêuuaได้dâiรู้จักrúu jàkลูกเขยlôok kŏieมากขึ้นmâak kêunท่านtâanก็gâwเริ่มrêrmยอมรับyom rápเขาkăoเป็นbpenคนในkon naiครอบครัวkrôp kruua
Although his mother-in-law had never approved of her daughter's marriage, she began to accept him as part of the family as she got to know him better.
แม่เฒ่าmâe tâoเอ่ยèryกับgàpลูกเขยlôok kŏieด้วยdûuayน้ำเสียงnám sĭiangราบเรียบrâap rîiapว่าwâaแม้máeลูกสาวlôok săaoของkŏngนางnaangจะjàออกเรือนòk reuuanไปแล้วbpai láewก็gâwไม่ได้mâi dâaiหมายความว่าmăai kwaam wâaนางnaangจะjàเลิกlêrkห่วงใยhùuang yai
The mother-in-law told her son-in-law in an even tone that, although her daughter was now married, that did not mean she would stop caring about her.
เมื่อmêuuaกิจการgìt-jà-gaanตกต่ำdtòk dtàmเขาkăoจำต้องjam dtôngบากbàakหน้าnâaไปbpaiขอkŏrความช่วยเหลือkwaam chûuai lĕuuaจากjàakแม่เฒ่าmâe tâoทั้งที่táng têeเคยkoeiลั่นวาจาlân waa-jaaกับgàpภรรยาpan-rá-yaaว่าwâaจะjàไม่mâiพึ่งpêungเงินngernของkŏngแม่mâeเธอterเป็นอันขาดbpen an kàat
When his business declined, he had to swallow his pride and ask his mother-in-law for help, despite having sworn to his wife that he would never rely on her mother's money.
Word Breakdown
แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; basemother; momPart 1
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แม่เฒ่าmâe tâoแม่เฒ่าmâe tâograndmother; elderly matriarchgrandmother; elderly matriarchWord