Thai word
ไม่
mâi
不
How to pronounce ไม่
Falling tone
Starts high, falls quickly to low
ไม่ is written mâi and carries the falling tone. Listen first, then copy the pitch — in Thai the pitch belongs to the word the way a vowel does.
Same syllable, five tones
Thai uses pitch to tell words apart. Below is the same syllable on each of the five tones — nothing changes but the pitch. Say your word (highlighted) on one of the other four and a Thai listener hears a different word, or none at all.
-
mai
Mid tone
-
mài
Low tone
- ไม่
mâi
Falling tone
-
mǎi
Rising tone
-
mái
High tone
What does ไม่ mean?
Translation
不
ไม่ (mâi) means "不" in Thai.
Example sentences
ไม่เผ็ดได้ไหมคะ ท้องไม่ค่อยดี
mâi pèt dâai mǎi ká tóong mâi kôi dii
可以做不辣的吗？我肚子不太舒服。
ไม่เอาครับ
mâi ao khráp
不用了，谢谢。
ไม่เป็นไรครับ
mâi bpen rai khráp
没关系。
Test yourself
One word from the same tone group. Its meaning is not on this page — see whether it stuck.
What does this word mean?
ห้า
hâa
Related words
More words with the falling tone — the same pitch shape, different words.
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