ญาติ

Explanation

ญาติ is a neutral, everyday noun for a person connected through blood, marriage, or another recognized family relationship. It does not identify the exact relationship, such as aunt, uncle, or cousin. Common patterns include เป็นญาติของ followed by a person, meaning “to be a relative of,” and เป็นญาติกัน, meaning “to be related to each other.” More specific expressions include ญาติฝ่ายแม่ for a relative on one’s mother’s side, ญาติฝ่ายพ่อ for one on one’s father’s side, and ญาติห่าง ๆ for a distant relative. The word does not change between singular and plural. When counting relatives, use the classifier คน, as in ญาติคนหนึ่ง, “one relative,” and ญาติสามคน, “three relatives.”

Usage

It is commonly used when describing family relationships or discussing visits, reunions, weddings, funerals, and other events involving relatives. It also appears in hospitals and administrative contexts when identifying a person’s relatives.

Caution

Do not normally use ญาติ for a friend or acquaintance. Use ครอบครัว when referring to a family or household as a unit. Unlike “cousin,” ญาติ does not specify the exact relationship, so use a more precise kinship term when that detail matters.

1 relative synonyms

• ครอบครัว

  khrɔ̂ɔpkhrua family

  ครอบครัว refers to a family as a unit or household. ญาติ refers to an individual relative or to relatives collectively.

• พี่น้อง

  phîi nɔ́ɔŋ close relatives

  พี่น้อง primarily means siblings. ญาติ is broader and includes relatives such as aunts, uncles, and cousins.