น่าจะ
nâa-jàMeanings
1NounA2
probably; likely
used to express inference or high likelihood that something is true
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)พูดpûutพูดpûut1[to] speak; talk2[to] say; speak3[to] tell; talk aboutเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillน่าจะnâa-jàน่าจะnâa-jà1probably; likely2be expected; should (probability)3might be a good idea (suggestion)4should have (regret/criticism)ง่วงนอนngûuang-nɔɔnง่วงนอนngûuang-nɔɔn1sleepy; drowsy2[to] feel sleepy
He's not talking at all. He is probably sleepy.
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I can't reach him on the phone. He's probably in a meeting.
Look at the clouds in the sky. It will probably rain heavily this evening.
ร้านอาหารráan aa-hăanร้านนั้นráan nánคนเต็มkon dtemตลอดdtà-lòtอาหารaa-hăanน่าจะnâa jàอร่อยà-ròiมากmâakแน่ๆnâe nâe
That restaurant is always full of people; the food is probably very delicious.
2NounB1
be expected; should (probability)
used to say that something is expected to happen or is reasonable to expect (not an obligation)
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillออกเดินทางɔ̀ɔk-dəən-taangออกเดินทางɔ̀ɔk-dəən-taang[to] set out; depart; leave on a tripเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเมื่อmʉ̂ʉa1when; at the time that2at; in; on (with time expressions)ชั่วโมงchûua-moongชั่วโมงchûua-moong1hour (60 minutes)2classifier: hours of timeที่แล้วtîi-lɛ́ɛoที่แล้วtîi-lɛ́ɛo1last; previous (postposed)2ago (postposed after duration)ตอนนี้dtɔɔn-níiตอนนี้dtɔɔn-níi1now; at the moment2this time/this moment (time noun)น่าจะnâa-jàน่าจะnâa-jà1probably; likely2be expected; should (probability)3might be a good idea (suggestion)4should have (regret/criticism)ใกล้glâiใกล้glâi1near; close (in distance/time/resemblance)2[to] be near; be close toถึงtʉ̌ngถึงtʉ̌ng1to; until; up to2[to] arrive; reach3to; toward (recipient/goal)4even if; even though5as much as; as many as; to the point of6only then; then as a result (informal)7about; concerning; regardingแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)
He left an hour ago. He should be arriving soon.
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ถ้าtâaเราraoส่งเอกสารsòng-èek-gà-sǎanวันนี้wan-níiก็gɔ̂น่าจะnâa-jàถึงtʉ̌ngออฟฟิศɔ́ɔp-fítสาขาsǎa-kǎaพรุ่งนี้prûng-níiตอนบ่ายdtɔɔn-bàai
If we send the documents today, they should arrive at the branch office tomorrow afternoon.
การติดgaan-dtìtตั้งโปรแกรมdtâng-bproo-grɛɛmนี้níiน่าจะnâa-jàใช้เวลาchái-wee-laaไม่เกินmâi-gəənสิบsìpนาทีnaa-tii
Installing this program should take no more than ten minutes.
ด้วยdûuaiเทคโนโลยีték-noo-loo-yiiที่tîiเราraoมีmiiในปัจจุบันnai-bpàt-jù-banเราraoน่าnâaจะสามารถjà-sǎa-mâatพัฒนาpát-tá-naaวัคซีนwák-siinได้dâaiเร็วกว่าreo-gwàaในอดีตnai-à-dìitมากmâak
With the technology we have today, we should be able to develop vaccines much faster than in the past.
3NounB1
might be a good idea (suggestion)
used to make a soft suggestion or recommendation
Examples
อากาศaa-gàatอากาศaa-gàat1air2weatherร้อนๆrón rónร้อนๆrón rón1hot; piping hot2freshly; while still hotแบบนี้bàep néeแบบนี้bàep née1like this; in this way2this kind/type (modifier)3this kind (standalone)เธอterเธอter1you (informal; familiar)2she; herน่าจะnâa jàน่าจะnâa jà1probably; likely2be expected; should (probability)3might be a good idea (suggestion)4should have (regret/criticism)ไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already past5too; excessivelyว่ายน้ำwâai námว่ายน้ำwâai nám[to] swimนะnáนะná1softener; friendly particle2persuasive/confirming particle
In hot weather like this, you should probably go for a swim.
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ผมpŏmว่าwâaคุณkunน่าจะnâa jàลองlongคุยkuiกับgàpเขาkăoตรงๆdtrong dtrongดีกว่าdee gwàaปล่อยให้bplòi hâiเรื่องrêuuangมันmanค้างคาkáang-kaa
I think you should probably try talking to him directly rather than letting the issue remain unresolved.
ในnaiสถานการณ์sà-tǎa-ná-gaanที่tîiละเอียดอ่อนlá-ìiat-ɔ̀ɔnเช่นนี้chên-níiเราraoน่าจะnâa-jàพิจารณาpí-jaa-rá-naaทางเลือกtaang-lʉ̂ʉakทั้งหมดtáng-mòtอย่างรอบคอบyàang-rɔ̂ɔp-kɔ̂ɔpก่อนgɔ̀ɔnตัดสินใจdtàt-sǐn-jai
In a delicate situation like this, we should probably consider all options carefully before making a decision.
4NounB2
should have (regret/criticism)
used with past time or a completed event to say that something would have been better or was expected but did not happen (regret/criticism)
Examples
รถติดrót-dtìtรถติดrót-dtìt1traffic jam; congestion2[to] have heavy traffic; be congestedมากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerousเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedเราraoเราrao1we; us2I; me (informal/regional)น่าจะnâa-jàน่าจะnâa-jà1probably; likely2be expected; should (probability)3might be a good idea (suggestion)4should have (regret/criticism)ออกจากบ้านɔ̀ɔk-jàak-bâanออกจากบ้านɔ̀ɔk-jàak-bâan[to] leave homeให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3to; for [sb] (recipient)4[to] have [sb] do; cause to5for (benefit of)6so that; in order to7until; to the point that (result)เร็วกว่าreo-gwàaเร็วกว่าreo-gwàafaster; quickerนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)
The traffic is so bad. We should have left home earlier.
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คุณkunน่าจะnâa-jàบอกbɔ̀ɔkฉันchǎnเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangนี้níiตั้งdtângแต่แรกdtɛ̀ɛ-rɛ̂ɛkจะได้jà-dâaiช่วยกันchûuai-ganแก้ปัญหาgɛ̂ɛ-bpan-hǎa
You should have told me about this from the beginning, so we could have solved the problem together.
เขาkǎoน่าจะnâa-jàตรวจสอบdtrùuat-sɔ̀ɔpข้อมูลkɔ̂ɔ-muunให้ดีhâi-diiก่อนที่gɔ̀ɔn-tîiจะjàนำเสนอnam-sà-nə̌əในnaiที่ประชุมtîi-bprà-chumเพราะprɔ́ข้อมูลkɔ̂ɔ-muunที่tîiเขาkǎoพูดpûutมาmaaมันmanผิดpìtทั้งหมดtáng-mòt
He should have checked the information carefully before presenting it at the meeting, because all the information he presented was wrong.
ถ้าtâaรู้rúuว่าwâaผลลัพธ์pŏn-lápจะjàออกมาòk maaเป็นbpenแบบนี้bàep néeผมpŏmน่าจะnâa jàลงทุนlong tunในnaiหุ้นตัวhûn dtuuaนั้นnánแทนtaen
If I had known the result would turn out like this, I should have invested in that other stock instead.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Falling tone
nâa
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Low class + Mai ek → Falling
Tone chart
Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.
| Mid class | High class | Low class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mark + live | Mid | Rising | Mid |
| No mark + dead short | Low | Low | High |
| No mark + dead long | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai ek | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai tho | Falling | Falling | High |
| Mai tri | High | — | — |
| Mai chattawa | Rising | — | — |
Word Breakdown
+
จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)will; shall (future/intention marker)Part 2
น่าจะnâa-jàน่าจะnâa-jàprobably; likelyprobably; likelyWord