I cant seem to find this word in many dictionary. This word basically means treating your parents well, repaying them for bringing you up.

There are lots of words dealing with this general subject, since care of parents is a central tenet of the culture's values. One useful word is "Katanyu" กตัญญู which means exactly feeling and acting on the gratitude that one should feel toward (especially) those who raised you. The opposite of this word is akatanyu อกตัญญู, perhaps the most insulting word in the language (albeit not in any way vulgar).

thanks alot ...

What context are you planning to use it in? It's unlikely you'll be able to translate word-for-word, so more context would be helpful.

In addition to the concept of กตัญญู, there is also the concept of หนี้บุญคุณ, sometimes translated 'debt of gratitude', but it's really more like an obligation, and frequently associated with the parent-child relationship.

I would go with หนี้บุญคุณ (Nee Boon Koon). I hear this far more frequently in regard to the feeling of obligation towards ones parents or rather a debt of gratitude.

In term of parent-child relationship, กตัญญู or กตัญญูกตเวที or กตัญญูรู้คุณ would be the perfect translation for filial piety. You can also say ตอบแทนบุญคุณ or ทดแทนบุญคุณ which means to repay back someone's favors.

An example would be ลูกที่ดีจะ้้ต้องมีความกตัญญูกตเวทีต่อพ่อแม่ และทดแทนบุญคุณท่านเมื่อโตเป็นผู้ใหญ่

หนี้บุญคุณ, as Khun Rikker already said, means "debt of gratitude". Since it's more like a "debt", we don't really use this word in context of parent-child relationship as parents normally don't count what they do for their kids as the debts. However, หนี้บุญคุณ is normally used when other people help you that make you feel grateful. It also implies the feeling that you feel in debt and want to repay that gratitude back some day in the future.

For example, ผมรู้สึกเป็นหนี้บุญคุณเจ้านายที่ช่วยปลดหนี้ให้และยังให้งานผมทำ. In this sentence, หนี้บุญคุณ does not only mean that this person feels grateful to his boss for helping him repay his loans and offer him a job but also implies that he would like to repay his gratitude back some day if he gets a chance.

Hope this is clear na ka. ^___________^

Edited October 26, 201015 yr by Aommie

In term of parent-child relationship, กตัญญู or กตัญญูกตเวที or กตัญญูรู้คุณ would be the perfect translation for filial piety. You can also say ตอบแทนบุญคุณ or ทดแทนบุญคุณ which means to repay back someone's favors.

An example would be ลูกที่ดีจะ้้ต้องมีความกตัญญูกตเวทีต่อพ่อแม่ และทดแทนบุญคุณท่านเมื่อโตเป็นผู้ใหญ่. This sentence means " A good kid has to be filial to his own parents and repay back their kindness when he grows up."

หนี้บุญคุณ, as Khun Rikker already said, means "debt of gratitude". Since it's more like a "debt", we don't really use this word in context of parent-child relationship as parents normally don't count what they do for their kids as the debts. However, หนี้บุญคุณ is normally used when other people help you that make you feel grateful. It also implies the feeling that you feel in debt and want to repay that gratitude back some day in the future.

For example, ผมรู้สึกเป็นหนี้บุญคุณเจ้านายที่ช่วยปลดหนี้ให้และยังให้งานผมทำ. In this sentence, หนี้บุญคุณ does not only mean that this person feels grateful to his boss for helping him repay his loans and offer him a job but also implies that he would like to repay his gratitude back some day if he gets a chance.

Hope this is clear na ka. ^___________^

Thanks for the clarification, Aommie. I do recall that I've heard people use it in the parent-child context, but thanks for pointing out that this is not typical.

When I got home yesterday I checked with my son. He confirms that หนี้บุญคุณ would not normally be used with one's parents. So I was mistaken, which is not the first time. My son said pretty much the same as Aommie.