Copy word

Thai

นอนหงาย

Components

นอน

Pronunciation

nɔɔn ŋǎay

นอนหงาย

nɔɔn ŋǎay

lie on one's back

A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.

  1. 1 lie on one's back、lie faceup

Describes lying on your back with your face and the front of your body facing upward, whether or not you are actually asleep.

Learning notes

Explanation

This expression combines นอน, “to sleep or lie down,” with หงาย, “to face upward.” Here, นอน does not necessarily mean that someone is asleep. นอนหงาย can also describe a person who is awake but lying faceup, such as during a medical exam or an exercise. It is a common, neutral expression.

Usage

It is commonly used to describe a sleeping position or to instruct someone to lie on their back during a medical exam, massage, stretch, or exercise.

Caution

The opposite position, “to lie face down,” is นอนคว่ำ. นอนหงาย normally describes the subject lying on their own back. To say that someone places or has another person lie on their back, use a construction such as ให้นอนหงาย.

Share or cite this page

You are welcome to link to this page from blogs, social media, articles, and other materials. Quotations are welcome, too.

Send feedback

Let us know about errors, anything that seems unclear, or suggested corrections.

Content production and review

Thai content last reviewed

The Thai meaning, naturalness, examples, and pronunciation in this entry have been reviewed by a native Thai editor. We always welcome reports of errors and suggested corrections through the link above.

See our editorial and English localization process