Thai grammar · with audio
Thai negation: how to say no, not and don't
Not, isn't, didn't, can't, never and don't: one little word and the phrases built on it.
Quick answer
To say not in Thai, put ไม่mâi right before the verb or adjective: ไม่ชอบmâi châwp (I don't like it), ไม่เผ็ดmâi pèt (it's not spicy). To say something isn't a thing, use ไม่ใช่mâi châi: ไม่ใช่ของผมmâi châi kǎwng pǒm, it's not mine. Thai has no all-purpose word for no: you usually answer with ไม่mâi + the verb from the question. Commands use อย่าyàa (don't!).
ไม่mâi before verbs and adjectives
ไม่mâi goes directly before the word it negates, and it never changes: ไม่รู้mâi rúu (I don't know), ไม่มีmâi mii (there isn't any), ไม่แพงmâi paeng (it's not expensive). Adjectives work like verbs, so they take ไม่mâi the same way. With two verbs, it goes before the first: ไม่อยากไปmâi yàak bpai, I don't want to go.
Watch the tone: ไม่mâi (not) falls, while the question word ไหมmǎi rises.
- ไม่ mâiชอบ châwp
I don't like it.
- ไม่ mâiเผ็ด pèt
It's not spicy.
- ไม่ mâiอยาก yàakไป bpai
I don't want to go.
ไม่ใช่mâi châi: it's not (that)
To say something is not a thing or a person, use ไม่ใช่mâi châi, that's not right: ไม่ใช่ของผมmâi châi kǎwng pǒm (it's not mine), ไม่ใช่คนไทยmâi châi kon tai (I'm not Thai). It's also the no to a ใช่ไหมchâi mǎi question.
- ไม่ใช่ mâi châiคน konไทย tai
I'm not Thai.
Didn't and can't: ไม่ได้mâi dâi
ไม่ได้mâi dâi has two meanings, and the word order tells them apart. Before a verb it's didn't: ไม่ได้ไปmâi dâi bpai, I didn't go. After a verb it's can't: ไปไม่ได้bpai mâi dâi, I can't go.
| Thai | English |
|---|---|
| ไม่ได้ไปmâi dâi bpai | I didn't go. |
| ไปไม่ได้bpai mâi dâi | I can't go. |
| ไม่ได้กินmâi dâi gin | I didn't eat it. |
| กินไม่ได้gin mâi dâi | I can't eat it. |
- ไม่ mâiได้ dâiไป bpai
I didn't go.
- ไป bpaiไม่ mâiได้ dâi
I can't go.
Not yet, never, not any more
Three more negatives are built on ไม่mâi. ยังไม่yang mâi is not yet: ยังไม่ได้กินyang mâi dâi gin, I haven't eaten yet. ไม่เคยmâi koei is never: ไม่เคยไปmâi koei bpai, I've never been. And ไม่…แล้วmâi … láew is not any more: ไม่สูบบุหรี่แล้วmâi sùup bù-rìi láew, I don't smoke any more. More in Thai tenses.
- ไม่ mâiเคย koeiไป bpai
I've never been there.
- ไม่ mâiสูบ sùupบุหรี่ bù-rìiแล้ว láew
I don't smoke any more.
Don't! อย่าyàa and ไม่ต้องmâi dtâwng
For a command, use อย่าyàa before the verb: อย่าลืมyàa luuem, don't forget. Soften it with นะná at the end, as Thais nearly always do. ไม่ต้องmâi dtâwng is gentler: there's no need to. ไม่ต้องใส่น้ำแข็งmâi dtâwng sài náam-kǎeng is no ice, thanks.
- อย่า yàaลืม luuemนะ ná
Don't forget, okay?
- ไม่ต้อง mâi dtâwngใส่ sàiน้ำแข็ง náam-kǎengครับ kráp
No ice, please.
Men ไม่ต้องใส่น้ำแข็งครับ Women ไม่ต้องใส่น้ำแข็งค่ะ
Softer and stronger: ไม่ค่อยmâi kâwy and เลยloei
ไม่ค่อยmâi kâwy (not very, not really) goes before the word and softens it: ไม่ค่อยชอบmâi kâwy châwp, I don't really like it, the polite way to turn something down. เลยloei at the end makes it strong: ไม่เผ็ดเลยmâi pèt loei, not spicy at all.
| Thai | English |
|---|---|
| ไม่เผ็ดเลยmâi pèt loei | not spicy at all |
| ไม่เผ็ดmâi pèt | not spicy |
| ไม่ค่อยเผ็ดmâi kâwy pèt | not very spicy |
| เผ็ดนิดหน่อยpèt nít-nàwy | a little spicy |
| เผ็ดมากpèt mâak | very spicy |
- ไม่ค่อย mâi kâwyชอบ châwp
I don't really like it.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, and what Thais say instead.
ชอบไม่châwp mâi
ไม่ mâiชอบ châwpI don't like it.
ไม่mâi goes before the verb, never after it.
ไม่เป็นคนไทยmâi bpen kon tai
ไม่ใช่ mâi châiคน konไทย taiI'm not Thai.
To say you're not something, use ไม่ใช่mâi châi or ไม่ได้เป็นmâi dâi bpen, not ไม่เป็นmâi bpen.
ไม่ได้ไปmâi dâi bpai (for I can't go)
ไป bpaiไม่ mâiได้ dâiI can't go.
ไม่ได้mâi dâi before the verb is didn't. For can't, it goes after.
More of it in the course
Other units that build on this pattern.
The words in the dictionary
Every word on this page has its own entry, with more examples and audio.
- ไม่ mâi Not
- ไม่แล้ว mâi láew Not anymore
Negation: FAQ
How do you say 'no' in Thai?
There's no all-purpose no. Answer with ไม่mâi + the verb or adjective of the question: ชอบไหมchâwp mǎi → ไม่ชอบmâi châwp. To correct a fact, say ไม่ใช่mâi châi, that's not right. More on how to say no in Thai.
What is the difference between ไม่ and ไม่ใช่?
ไม่mâi negates verbs and adjectives: ไม่ร้อนmâi ráwn, not hot. ไม่ใช่mâi châi says something isn't a thing or isn't true: ไม่ใช่ของผมmâi châi kǎwng pǒm, it's not mine.
How do you say 'don't' in Thai?
For a command, อย่าyàa before the verb: อย่าลืมนะyàa luuem ná, don't forget. For you don't have to, use ไม่ต้องmâi dtâwng.
What does ไม่เป็นไร mean?
ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai means it's okay, no problem, never mind: the friendliest way to answer a thank-you or an apology. More on how to say you're welcome in Thai.
How do you say 'never' in Thai?
ไม่เคยmâi koei before the verb: ไม่เคยกินmâi koei gin, I've never eaten it. On its own it answers have you ever…?
Keep going
Grammar Thai tenses Verbs never change: time words and a handful of little markers do the work of tenses. 
Grammar Thai question words What, where, who, when, why and how: put the question word where the answer goes. 
Grammar Thai sentence structure Subject, verb, object, like English: but describing words come after the noun, and verbs never change. 
Grammar Thai particles Krap and ka, na, si, loei and the other little words that end a Thai sentence.