Hello Thai language experts,

Since our child was born (or maybe it was after we built our house and moved in), people started calling me something like, "Paw Ngai" followed by my name.

My GF tells me it sort of translates to uncle, but i can't find anything saying that and i would like more exact translation.

It doesn't seem to be a term of disrespect, though everyone finds it funny that my daughter calls me it sometimes, either she is simply repeating what everyone else calls me or maybe she has been secretly taught to call me this by someone (I think my mother-in-law....she finds it especially hilarious).

Anyway, any accurate translations?

Thanks

Edited May 17, 201511 yr by EmptyHead

พอ ง่าย (or 'phaaw ngai' ) , comes up in Thai-Language site as 'easy enough', the joke may be they say like you are over feeding the little one

It's definitely not พอ ง่าย

You don't happen to live in the north of Thailand? It sounds like northern Thai to me.

Paw is most likely พ่อ

Edited May 17, 201511 yr by Mole

It's definitely not พอ ง่าย

You don't happen to live in the north of Thailand? It sounds like northern Thai to me.

Paw is most likely พ่อ

I'm in the Northeast.

The first word is father/pa, the second could be how? Or horny! I think you are best placed to judge which of those 2 options ;-)

I know a Thai girl here in Holland who used to call me พ่อใหญ่ "por yai" followed by my name, all with a big smile on her face.

Apparently it is Isaan for grandfather, even though our age difference isn't that big.

Cheeky little bugger

Still, she knew I could understand it, so it was all in good fun.

Edited May 17, 201511 yr by eric67

พ่อ (pôr): daddy, father

ง่าย (ngâai): easily ; simply

Easy (done to become) a father

I am not allowed to cite a German saying here, sounds like "easy becoming a father but hard to be one".

Edited May 17, 201511 yr by KhunBENQ

Thanks for all the posts!

It sounds like "por ngai" (easy/simple father), like KunBENQ mentioned.

That is if "ngai" means easy/simple in the Isaan dialect.

I still dunno if it is a nice name to be called or not. Any other (young) dads here in Isaan been called this?

And if the literal translation is indeed "easy dad", then how does that actually translate in English? I mean, in what way is it meant? Perhaps, easy-going dad? lazy dad? useless dad? making-parenthood-look-easy dad? etc etc...LOL

It definately isn't "por yai" - that's what all the elderly gentlemen are called around our village.

Any more insight would be appreciated!

Thanks again.

พ่อนาย<name> is a respectful way of addressing someone significantly older (~20-30 years).

Possibly in Isaan this is replaced with พ่องาย

In my Lanna village พ่อนาย Pho Naay is reserved for the second most respected and wealthy man in the village,a retired banker. Naay is equivalent to "sir", one step above addressing someone as "khun".

I think that in the context you describe it's sort of pôr Naay, which may or may roughly mean "respected father"

I think it's certainly not disrespectful, quite the opposite in fact.

Definitely father easy.

I am too called paw followed by my truncated Christian name. I also agree that bhai means easy. Makes sense to me.

I'm pretty sure the idiomatic translation means something like 'stupid father'.

No, it's definitely not "father easy". In Thai, there's no such expression "พ่อง่าย". Even just the word พ่อง่าย doesn't make much sense to a Thai.

Yai can mean either big (likely in this case). as in 'big cheese', not necessarily in size. or it can mean old woman. My wife teases me sometiimes, calling me khun taa (old man), and when we see an old lady in the store, she's a khun yai.

In the Eastern dialect พอ ง่าย (actually I think it's more like พอ งาย) is a common slang term that means camels c#nt, we have a similar word in the UK "mush" which has the same meaning.

"Paw ngai" means "Easy going guy" but is used as a description not a name - I've just confirmed this with my Thai wife - but even so, maybe that is what you are being called.

"Paw Yai" means grandpa but is often used as a term of affection for any guy considerably older than the speaker and is often followed by the person's name or a light hearted description. I have heard the following "Paw Yai" names used frequently:-

Paw Yai Mike = (Old) Mike - "Old" more as a term of affection than an accurate description

Paw Yai Kar Yow = Long-legged grandpa - a very tall old boy

Paw Yai Hua Lahn = Bald-headed grandpa - I think that no further explanation is required on this one.....

A youngster calling a middle aged or older man "Paw Yai" would be seen as cheeky and might well amuse her elders when doing so.

Edited May 20, 201511 yr by Horatio Poke

Why don't you ask them to spell it to you? A little research and you would probably have your answer.

Some of these what I call the "blended" consonants are not easy to pick up - bp / ng for example - and the only way I can get my head and ear around them is to get them to spell them to me.

Why don't you ask them to spell it to you?

Sure this would make it easy.

For such tasks I engage the graunddaughter (15 y) who is the most literate in the house.

She writes it on a sheet of paper, I type it to my PC.

Of course you could also have a Thai type it for you (notepad or so).

But I am afraid many members have not configured their devices to input Thai script and might fail at this hurdle?

Edited May 20, 201511 yr by KhunBENQ

They are calling you phaw ngai because you are easy going person no problem with anything or anybody

Just asked the wife the only reason she came up with is that your daughter is named "Ngai" you will then be called Pho Ngai or "father of Ngai" after she is born not disrepectfull at all.

My thai name is PaPa. Although the wife calls her dad พ่อ​

Did you get her pregnant shortly after meeting her? It may mean that you became a father easily. It may also mean that you don't do much as a father. I guess it all depends on context. Thais have such a clear and unambiguous language...

"Paw ngai" means "Easy going guy" but is used as a description not a name - I've just confirmed this with my Thai wife - but even so, maybe that is what you are being called.

"Paw Yai" means grandpa but is often used as a term of affection for any guy considerably older than the speaker and is often followed by the person's name or a light hearted description. I have heard the following "Paw Yai" names used frequently:-

Paw Yai Mike = (Old) Mike - "Old" more as a term of affection than an accurate description

Paw Yai Kar Yow = Long-legged grandpa - a very tall old boy

Paw Yai Hua Lahn = Bald-headed grandpa - I think that no further explanation is required on this one.....

A youngster calling a middle aged or older man "Paw Yai" would be seen as cheeky and might well amuse her elders when doing so.

Paw Yai literally is Father Big. พ่อ ใหญ่ How big are you?

Yai can mean either big (likely in this case). as in 'big cheese', not necessarily in size. or it can mean old woman. My wife teases me sometiimes, calling me khun taa (old man), and when we see an old lady in the store, she's a khun yai.

She is not teasing you. ???

I think that in the context you describe it's sort of pôr Naay, which may or may roughly mean "respected father"

I think it's certainly not disrespectful, quite the opposite in fact.

I doubt many Thais really respect farangs living in villages.... That's just wishful thinking

Paw Yai simply means 'senior father' or 'grandfather'

It's an Issan thing.

It's not a derogatory term, but maybe infers you're older than the average father.

I looked it up on GOOGLE it translates to

OLD FARANG WITH DEEP POCKETS

Just joking

I know a Thai girl here in Holland who used to call me พ่อใหญ่ "por yai" followed by my name, all with a big smile on her face.

Apparently it is Isaan for grandfather, even though our age difference isn't that big.

Cheeky little bugger

Still, she knew I could understand it, so it was all in good fun.

Pa yai literally means "big daddy." This is what my wife's friends and family call me to my face ... and I love it. In Latin America I was called "patron" which could be considered a more formal rendition of big daddy.

In the Eastern dialect พอ ง่าย (actually I think it's more like พอ งาย) is a common slang term that means camels c#nt, we have a similar word in the UK "mush" which has the same meaning.

I hope it isn't "mush" the only time (regretably not infrequently when young) I have used mush would be in the context "Oi mush, you looking for a punch up the bracket" or something along those lines.