Body and health หายใจ hǎai-jai
to breathe verb
- hǎai rising
- jai mid
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
How to use it
หายใจhǎai-jai is built on ใจjai, the heart or mind, like so many Thai words. Trouble breathing, หายใจไม่ออกhǎai-jai mâi àwk, is an emergency: call 1669. The same phrase is also how Thais describe feeling stifled, by smog, a crowd or a situation.
To sigh is ถอนหายใจtǎwn hǎai-jai, to "pull out a breath".
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- hai jai
- hai chai
More body and health in Thai
All body and health
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones