Everyday expressions
Feelings เห็นใจ hěn-jai
to sympathise, to understand how someone feels verb
- hěn rising
- jai mid
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
Parts: เห็นhěn to see ใจjai heart, mind
How to use it
เห็นใจhěn-jai, "to see someone's heart", is understanding how another person feels and taking their side a little: a tired waiter, a friend stuck at work late. เห็นใจกันบ้างhěn-jai gan bâang, "show each other some understanding", is what people say when tempers fray. For pity, "poor thing", Thai uses สงสารsǒng-sǎan.
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:
- hen chai
- hen jai na
More everyday expressions in Thai
All everyday expressions
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones