Mia V Pan Ra Yaa?

[Familyonthemove]

Just started my twice a week Thai lessons .... and when practicing my first few phrases with the girls in the office they burst out laughing at my use of 'mia' to refer to my wife? They said I should use 'pan ra yaa'.

What's the difference?

My wife happens to be English, but that can't be the point .... so can I use 'mia', it's a much sumpler word?

Edited July 25, 2008 by Familyonthemove

[Who, me ?]

Just started my twice a week Thai lessons .... and when practicing my first few phrases with the girls in the office they burst out laughing at my use of 'mia' to refer to my wife? They said I should use 'pan ra yaa'.

What's the difference?

My wife happens to be English, and from Hull .... which is the Isan of the UK ... so can I use 'mia', it's a much sumpler word?

pan ra yaa is more polite than mia...

[Artamus]

Just started my twice a week Thai lessons .... and when practicing my first few phrases with the girls in the office they burst out laughing at my use of 'mia' to refer to my wife? They said I should use 'pan ra yaa'.

What's the difference?

My wife happens to be English, and from Hull .... which is the Isan of the UK ... so can I use 'mia', it's a much sumpler word?

pan ra yaa is more polite than mia...

A bit like the difference between "my wife" and "her indoors" I suppose.

[Familyonthemove]

Thanks ...... although mia is less polite ..... is it still correct? Is it like the equivalent of 'the missus' in English?

Should I use it in more informal situations?

Edited July 25, 2008 by Familyonthemove

[Familyonthemove]

Thanks Artamus ... bit of cross posting there .... sorry!

[DavidHouston]

Just started my twice a week Thai lessons .... and when practicing my first few phrases with the girls in the office they burst out laughing at my use of 'mia' to refer to my wife? They said I should use 'pan ra yaa'.

What's the difference?

My wife happens to be English, but that can't be the point .... so can I use 'mia', it's a much sumpler word?

"Mia" is used in several contexts. It could mean a woman you are living with but with whom you are not legally bound. That probably elicited the laugh. In polite company, you would not refer to your wife as "mia" but as "pa-ri-ya". If she knew, she would appreciate it.

[ashacat]

I thought it was "pa ra ya". Can anyone confirm the correct pronunciation?

Edit: Just checked with our secretary, apparently it is "pan ra ya". Although to my ear it sounds more like "pa ra ya"...

Edited July 25, 2008 by ashacat

[AjarnP]

I thought it was "pa ra ya". Can anyone confirm the correct pronunciation?

Edit: Just checked with our secretary, apparently it is "pan ra ya". Although to my ear it sounds more like "pa ra ya"...

The word is ภรรยา as you will see or soon learn there is no vowel except the last letter giving the 'ah' sound at the end but with the double 'ร' there is an inferred vowel sound not unlike 'un' as in bun or fun. The old fashioned sounding of the whole word did in fact used to be PANYA which pronunciation is still used a lot outside the central plains. The pronunciation here in Bangkok though is more like Parra ya

Anyway, be nice to her, it's Friday...take some flowers home 2nite

AjarnP

[riga]

I thought it was "pa ra ya". Can anyone confirm the correct pronunciation?

Edit: Just checked with our secretary, apparently it is "pan ra ya". Although to my ear it sounds more like "pa ra ya"...

About this issue there's an interesting note on this site

http://www.thai-language.com/id/131085

[bina]

้ีิิั hubby says: pbanyaa when he refers to me, his wife... but when in issaan compny he uses mia...mia is also used for the female animal in a pair of male female chickens or dogs or whatever...

bina

[sbk]

Mia is also colloquial slang in the South for wife, but only used when among people who already know that you are really married. Fan can also work but generally means girlfriend.

That said, when introducing me to new people, my husband always always always uses the formal word for wife. Which, interestingly enough sounds more like pala ya where I live.

Another meaning for mia where I live is for a little girl, as well as for female animals but only as ตัวเมีย dtua mia..

Interestingly, little boys are prefaced with the word khai (penis) so, for example, a little boy whose name you don't know, you will just call khai, but if you know his name you will call him Khai before the name, Khai Gop, for example.

[appleman]

"Mia" is not used in very polite society. It is better to use "phan ra ya" just as "phua" is a fairly gross way to say husband. It is better to say "sami". One option you have is to use "fan". This word means boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, and lots of in between relationships and is perfectly acceptible in all social situations.

[mangkorn]

"Mia" is not used in very polite society. It is better to use "phan ra ya" just as "phua" is a fairly gross way to say husband. It is better to say "sami". One option you have is to use "fan". This word means boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, and lots of in between relationships and is perfectly acceptible in all social situations.

Yes, but I think it's fair to say that "mia" is much more common, and acceptable, than "phua." In Bangkok, at least, one hears the former across a fairly broad range of social strata (well, I don't know about "high society"), but the latter is usually only heard among friends - and is most often said by people from the provinces, if I'm not mistaken.

Also, as someone else mentioned, "mia" can also mean "girlfriend," or, something vaguely different than "phan ra ya." I had this very discussion with a friend the other day, when I said that I had never had a "mia," because I have never been "married." Her response was categorical, to the effect of: "marriage" doesn't mean anything; "if you have a steady relationship with a woman, she's your mia!"

It depends on the criteria of whomever is doing the defining, I suppose...

Edited July 28, 2008 by mangkorn

[phitsanulokjon]

Just started my twice a week Thai lessons .... and when practicing my first few phrases with the girls in the office they burst out laughing at my use of 'mia' to refer to my wife? They said I should use 'pan ra yaa'.

What's the difference?

My wife happens to be English, but that can't be the point .... so can I use 'mia', it's a much sumpler word?

My wife is originally from Isaan and we use "pan rai yaa" and "sami" to refer to each other.

Certainly more polite and I understand from her that apart from "mia" having the animal connection it is often used locally when talking about a second wife (little wife) i.e. "mia noi" - in other words a mistress.

[mangkorn]

My wife is originally from Isaan and we use "pan rai yaa" and "sami" to refer to each other.

Certainly more polite and I understand from her that apart from "mia" having the animal connection it is often used locally when talking about a second wife (little wife) i.e. "mia noi" - in other words a mistress.

Yes, but I suspect that when she talks with other Isaan people, the words "mia" and "phua" are used, in informal conversation.