ນ້າສາວ
[nah-sao]
maternal younger aunt Noun
* Note — Lao sentences and phrases are not typically spaced out by syllables. But, this is helpful for recognizing where syllables start and end.
Tips:
This is the word for the younger aunt on your mother’s side.
Also, it can simple be shorten to ສາວ [sao]. For example, I call one of my aunts Sao Nok.
Tone Breakdown
ນ້າ [nah] — this syllable has a low-class consonant and a long vowel. This normally produces a high, but this syllable has a ໄມ້ໂທ /mai toh/ tone mark. Therefore, the tone of the syllable is a high-falling tone.
ສາວ [sao] — this syllable has a high-class consonant, a long vowel, and a sonorant final consonant. As a result, this produces a rising tone.