Feelings in Thai

Feelings are easy to say in Thai because there's no "to be": the adjective works like a verb. หิวhǐu is "I'm hungry", เหนื่อยnùeay "I'm tired", ง่วงngûang "I'm sleepy" and ร้อนráwn "I'm hot". Add มากmâak for "very", and put ไม่mâi in front for "not": ไม่ง่วงmâi ngûang, "not sleepy".

Many emotions are built on ใจjai, the heart or mind. ดีใจdii-jai is glad, เสียใจsǐa-jai sad or sorry, ใจดีjai-dii kind, ใจเย็นjai-yen calm (literally "cool heart") and ใจร้อนjai-ráwn short-tempered ("hot heart"). Once you notice the pattern, you'll hear ใจjai everywhere.

Thais often keep strong negative feelings low-key in public, so you'll hear plenty of ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai and soft laughter in awkward moments. That doesn't mean nobody minds: watch faces as well as words.