Imagine in Thai

“Imagine” in Thai is นึกnúek; you'll also hear จินตนาการjin-dtà-naa-gaan (imagination).

นึก núek

to think of, to call to mind; to imagine verb

núek high

High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.

จินตนาการ jin-dtà-naa-gaan

to imagine; imagination verb

jin mid
dtà low
naa mid
gaan mid

Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

How to use it

นึกnúek is bringing something to mind: a name, a word, a picture. นึกไม่ออกnúek mâi àwk, "think, not out", is the word on the tip of your tongue, and นึกออกแล้วnúek àwk láew is "got it!". นึกว่าnúek wâa, "I thought", says you were wrong: นึกว่าปิดแล้วnúek wâa bpìt láew, I thought it was closed (but it isn't). Picturing something is นึกภาพnúek pâap: นึกภาพไม่ออกnúek pâap mâi àwk, I can't imagine it. The formal, creative word is จินตนาการjin-dtà-naa-gaan.

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:

neuk
nuk
jintanakan

More verbs in Thai

All verbs

เป็น bpen Be
to be (a nationality, a job, a role)
มี mii Have
to have
ไป bpai Go
to go
มา maa Come
to come
กิน gin Eat
to eat
ดื่ม dùuem Drink
to drink

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones