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Feelings

Tears in Thai

“Tears” in Thai is น้ำตาnáam-dtaa.

น้ำตา náam-dtaa

tears noun

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

You'll hear it in Koisuru Fortune Cookie (คุกกี้เสี่ยงทาย).

How to use it

น้ำตาnáam-dtaa is "eye water": น้ำnáam, water, plus ตาdtaa, eye. Tears run, ไหลlǎi, from chillies as often as from sadness at a Thai table. To cry is ร้องไห้ráwng-hâai.

Don't mix it up

  • น้ำตกnáam-dtòk

    waterfall

    "Falling water": a waterfall.

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:

  • nam ta
  • namta

More feelings in Thai

All feelings
  • มีความสุข mii kwaam-sùk Happy

    to be happy

  • ซึมเศร้า suem-sâo Depressed
  • เหงา ngǎo Lonely
  • คิดถึงบ้าน kít-tǔeng bâan Homesick

    homesick (literally 'miss home')

  • ผิดหวัง pìt-wǎng Disappointed
  • เสียดาย sǐa-daai What a pity

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