ม่าย
mâaiMeanings
1InterjectionA1
no! (informal spelling of ไม่ไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply))
an informal or colloquial spelling of ไม่ไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply) (mâi), used as a standalone exclamation meaning “no!”.
Examples
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A: Come with us, okay? B: Noooo, I want to sleep.
A: The snacks are all gone. B: No! Really? I just bought them.
2ParticleA2
not (informal spelling of ไม่ไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply))
an informal or colloquial spelling of ไม่ไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply) (mâi), used to negate a verb or adjective, equivalent to “not”.
Examples
อันนี้an-níiอันนี้an-níithis; this one (near the speaker)ม่ายmâaiม่ายmâai1no! (informal spelling of ไม่)2not (informal spelling of ไม่)3widow; widower; divorced person4widowed; divorcedอร่อยà-rɔ̀iอร่อยà-rɔ̀i1delicious; tasty2[to] taste good; be deliciousเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceed
This isn't delicious at all.
3 more examplesShow less
I'm not free tomorrow, I have to run some errands.
Why didn't you come to school yesterday?
The reason I didn't answer the phone is because I was driving.
3NounB1
widow; widower; divorced person
a person whose spouse has died or who is divorced. Often specified as พ่อม่ายพ่อม่ายpɔ̂ɔ-mâaiwidower; divorced man (widower) and แม่ม่ายแม่ม่ายmɛ̂ɛ-mâaiwidow; female divorcee (widow). In everyday Thai, it can refer to either widowed or divorced.
Examples
ป้าbpâaป้าbpâa1aunt (older sister of father or mother)2auntie; middle‑aged/older woman (address)ของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnmy; mineเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseม่ายmâaiม่ายmâai1no! (informal spelling of ไม่)2not (informal spelling of ไม่)3widow; widower; divorced person4widowed; divorcedสามีsǎa-miiสามีsǎa-miihusband (formal/neutral)เสียไปsǐia-bpaiเสียไปsǐia-bpai1[to] be lost; be gone2[to] be spent/paid; be wasted3[to] be damaged; spoiled; deteriorateเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเมื่อmʉ̂ʉa1when; at the time that2at; in; on (with time expressions)หลายlǎaiหลายlǎai1many; several2very; very much; a lot (Isan)ปีก่อนbpii-gɔ̀ɔnปีก่อนbpii-gɔ̀ɔnlast year; the previous year
My aunt is a widow; her husband passed away many years ago.
3 more examplesShow less
He's a desirable widower/divorcé; many women are interested in him.
สมัยนี้sà-mǎi-níiการเป็นgaan-bpenแม่mɛ̂ɛม่ายmâaiไม่ใช่mâi-châiเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangน่าอายnâa-aaiผู้หญิงpûu-yǐngสามารถsǎa-mâatเลี้ยงดูlíiang-duuลูกlûukตัวคนเดียวdtuua-kon-diiaoได้dâai
Nowadays, being a widow/divorcée is not something to be ashamed of; women can raise their children on their own.
ในฐานะที่เป็นnai-tǎa-ná-tîi-bpenพ่อม่ายpɔ̂ɔ-mâaiลูกlûukสองsɔ̌ɔngเขาkǎoต้องdtɔ̂ngทำงานหนักtam-ngaan-nàkเป็นสองเท่าbpen-sɔ̌ɔng-tâoเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaดูแลduu-lɛɛครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruua
As a widower with two children, he has to work twice as hard to take care of his family.
4AdjectiveB2
widowed; divorced
being without a spouse because the spouse died or because of divorce.
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; she; him; her2they; them (context-dependent)3horn4mountain; hillเพิ่งpə̂ngเพิ่งpə̂ngjust; recentlyม่ายmâaiม่ายmâai1no! (informal spelling of ไม่)2not (informal spelling of ไม่)3widow; widower; divorced person4widowed; divorcedได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action markerไม่นานmâi-naanไม่นานmâi-naan1soon; shortly2briefly; not for longเพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingภรรยาpan-rá-yaaภรรยาpan-rá-yaawife (formal/neutral)เพิ่งpə̂ngเพิ่งpə̂ngjust; recentlyเสียชีวิตsǐia-chii-wítเสียชีวิตsǐia-chii-wít[to] die; pass away (polite/formal)จากjàakจากjàak1from; away from2[to] leave; depart; part from3nipa palmอุบัติเหตุù-bàt-dtì-hèetอุบัติเหตุù-bàt-dtì-hèetaccident; mishap
He just recently became a widower, as his wife just died in an accident.
3 more examplesShow less
หลังจากlǎng-jàakม่ายmâaiมาmaa5ปีbpiiในที่สุดnai-tîi-sùtเธอtəəก็gɔ̂ตัดสินใจdtàt-sǐn-jaiเปิดใจbpə̀ət-jaiและlɛ́เริ่มrə̂əmคบหาkóp-hǎaคนใหม่kon-mài
After being a widow for 5 years, she finally decided to open her heart and start dating someone new.
สถานะsà-tǎa-náม่ายmâaiของkɔ̌ɔngเธอtəəทำให้เกิดtam-hâi-gə̀ətปัญหาbpan-hǎaซับซ้อนsáp-sɔ́ɔnในnaiการจัดการgaan-jàt-gaanทรัพย์สินsáp-sǐnมรดกmɔɔ-rá-dòkของkɔ̌ɔngสามีsǎa-miiผู้ล่วงลับpûu-lûuang-láp
Her widow status created complicated problems in managing the inheritance assets of her late husband.
แม้mɛ́ɛจะjàม่ายmâaiแล้วlɛ́ɛoทางtaangพฤตินัยprʉ́t-dtì-naiแต่dtɛ̀ɛในnaiทางกฎหมายtaang-gòt-mǎaiพวกเขาpûuak-kǎoยังไม่ได้yang-mâi-dâaiหย่าyàaกันganอย่างเป็นทางการyàang-bpen-taang-gaan
Although they are de facto separated (like a divorcee status), legally they have not officially divorced.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
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
mâai
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 | — | — |