พี่น้อง translates out to brothers and sisters. Yet, in stories discussing family members (AUA Thai Course, Book 2, pp. 258-262) the term seems to take on a slightly different meaning. Mr. Prasit, เขามีพี่น้องสี่คน, มีพี่ชายม พี่สาว ตัวเขาเองแล้วก็น้องสาวคนหนึ่ง In subsequent questions concerning the story, the use of พี่น้อง seems to refer to the total number of children in the family, rather than brothers and sisters. For example, in my own family my mother and father had six children. That means I have 5 brothers and sisters.....but in Thai, my Thai teacher confirms, I would say มีพี่น้องหกคน

Can anyone shed some light on or clarify how the term พี่น้อง is used?

Thanks from Udon

You have already understood how it works, I think.

In Thai, you need to count yourself as well. So just add one to what you would instinctively want to say.

พี่น้อง translates out to brothers and sisters. Yet, in stories discussing family members (AUA Thai Course, Book 2, pp. 258-262) the term seems to take on a slightly different meaning. Mr. Prasit, เขามีพี่น้องสี่คน, มีพี่ชายม พี่สาว ตัวเขาเองแล้วก็น้องสาวคนหนึ่ง In subsequent questions concerning the story, the use of พี่น้อง seems to refer to the total number of children in the family, rather than brothers and sisters. For example, in my own family my mother and father had six children. That means I have 5 brothers and sisters.....but in Thai, my Thai teacher confirms, I would say มีพี่น้องหกคน

Can anyone shed some light on or clarify how the term พี่น้อง is used?

Thanks from Udon

example as follows, using your example of you plus 5 others.

Q. khun mii phiinoong kii khon ?

A. phom mii phiinoong hok khon.

mii phiichaay song khon, phiisaaw neung khon ka noongchaay song khon krap.

sorry for not replying in thai fonts, but my eyesight is getting worse.

One should think of it as "how many siblings are there in your family?" instead of "how many siblings do YOU have?" "There are (we are) six siblings (in our family)."

I hadn't got the faintest idea... I must have had this kind of conversation dozens of times and I've always given the wrong information about my family and misunderstood the answers. Oh, well, one step closer to illumination, thanks to you.

Thanks for all the responses and the link back to previous discussions on this topic at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?ac...amp;MSID=250188

This is one of those cases where you just have to accept the facts, ma'am, and not worry so much about the whos, whys hows. I was just curious whether there was some easily explained rational behind the term. Thanks again.

ผมอายุ๓๙ปี

I am 38 years old

เป็นอย่างนั่นแหละ