Slight in Thai

“Slight” in Thai is เล็กน้อยlék-náwy.

เล็กน้อย lék-náwy

slight, minor; slightly adjective

  • lék high
  • náwy high
  • High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Parts: เล็กlék small น้อยnáwy little, few

How to use it

เล็กน้อยlék-náwy, "small and little", is the careful word for "slight, minor": a small fee, a minor injury, a slight delay. In conversation Thais say นิดหน่อยnít-nàwy, a bit. Announcements use it to soften bad news, ล่าช้าเล็กน้อยlâa-cháa lék-náwy, a slight delay, and a small thank-you gift is ของเล็กๆน้อยๆkǎwng lék-lék náwy-náwy, "a little something".

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:

  • lek noi
  • leknoi
  • lek noy

More describing things in Thai

All describing things
  • ดี dii Good
  • ไม่ดี mâi dii Bad

    bad, not good

  • ดีกว่า dii gwàa Better
  • ดีที่สุด dii tîi-sùt Best

    the best

  • ชอบที่สุด châwp tîi-sùt Favourite

    favourite (literally 'like the most')

  • สุดยอด sùt-yâwt Awesome

    awesome, amazing, the best

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