ไง

ngai

Meanings

1InterjectionA2

hey; yo (very casual attention-getter)

A very informal call to get someone's attention among close friends; often after a name or pronoun (e.g., แนนไง). Less a greeting than an attention-getter.

Examples

เมย์meeเมย์mee1May (month)2May (given name)ไงngaiไงngai1hey; yo (very casual attention-getter)2what's up?; how's it going? (casual)3how; in what way (colloq.)4emphatic reminder/identifier (…ไง ‘you know’)มาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerทางนี้taang-níiทางนี้taang-níi1this way; over here2this side; our sideสิsìสิsì1emphatic particle (statement)2urging/encouraging particle (imperative)
May, hey—come this way.
3 more examples
ผมpǒmไงngaiโทรหาtoo-hǎaคุณkunเมื่อเช้าmʉ̂ʉa-cháo
It's me—I'm the one who called you this morning.
นนท์nonไงngaiที่tîiช่วยchûuaiเธอtəəถือtʉ̌ʉของkɔ̌ɔngเมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waan
Non, you know—the one who helped you carry things yesterday.
พวกเราpûuak-raoไงngaiทีมtiimที่tîiชนะchá-náรอบrɔ̂ɔpก่อนgɔ̀ɔnจำjamได้ไหมdâai-mǎi
Us, you know—the team that won the previous round, remember?
2InterjectionA2

what's up?; how's it going? (casual)

A casual prompt asking what’s happening/how someone is; often in patterns like เป็นไงบ้างเป็นไงบ้างbpen-ngai-bâangHow are you?; How's it going??, เป็นไงเป็นไงbpen-ngaihow is it?; what's up??, ยังไงยังไงyang-ngai1how?; in what way?2how so?; what do you mean??

Examples

เป็นไงบ้างbpen-ngai-bâangเป็นไงบ้างbpen-ngai-bâangHow are you?; How's it going?วันนี้wan-níiวันนี้wan-níi1today (time of speech)2today; this day3nowadays; at presentเหนื่อยnʉ̀ʉaiเหนื่อยnʉ̀ʉai1tired; exhausted2[to] get tired; become tired3tiring; exhaustingไหมmǎiไหมmǎi1yes–no question particle; or not?2silk
How’s it going? Tired today?
3 more examples
เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanประชุมbprà-chumเป็นbpenไงngai
How was the meeting yesterday?
ไปbpaiสอบsɔ̀ɔpมาแล้วmaa-lɛ́ɛoเป็นไงบ้างbpen-ngai-bâang
You took the exam—how was it?
ช่วงนี้chûuang-níiงานngaanเป็นไงบ้างbpen-ngai-bâangเครียดkrîiatมากmâakไหมmǎi
How is work lately? Is it very stressful?
3AdverbB1

how; in what way (colloq.)

An informal form of อย่างไรอย่างไรyàang-rai1what kind; which way2how; in what way, asking about manner or condition, as in ทำไงดี and เป็นไงเป็นไงbpen-ngaihow is it?; what's up?.

Examples

ทำtamทำtam1[to] do; make2[to] act; behave3[to] cook; prepare food4[to] do; carry out (work)5[to] cause; makeไงngaiไงngai1hey; yo (very casual attention-getter)2what's up?; how's it going? (casual)3how; in what way (colloq.)4emphatic reminder/identifier (…ไง ‘you know’)ดีdiiดีdii1good; of good quality2kind; virtuous3well; nicely4gall; bileรถrótรถrót1vehicle (general)2car; automobileเสียsǐiaเสียsǐia1broken; out of order2spoiled; ruined; gone bad3[to] pay4[to] lose; forfeit; waste5[to] die; pass away6particle marking emphasis, completion, or decisivenessกลางทางglaang-taangกลางทางglaang-taang1halfway; en route2midway point
What should we do? The car broke down in the middle of the road.
3 more examples
ถ้าtâaเครื่องค้างkrʉ̂ʉang-káangแบบนี้bɛ̀ɛp-níiควรkuuanแก้gɛ̂ɛไงngaiลองlɔɔngรีสตาร์ทrii-sà-dtàatก่อนgɔ̀ɔnไหมmǎi
If the computer freezes like this, how should we fix it? Should we try restarting first?
สมัครงานsà-màk-ngaanออนไลน์ɔɔn-laaiไม่ผ่านmâi-pàanสักทีsàk-tiiต้องdtɔ̂ngกรอกgrɔ̀ɔkประวัติbprà-wàtยังไงyang-ngaiบ้างbâangถึงจะtʉ̌ng-jàครบkróp
I never get through the online job application. How should I fill in the profile to make it complete?
ถ้าtâaอยากyàakย้ายyáaiสายงานsǎai-ngaanจากjàakการตลาดgaan-dtà-làatไปbpaiวิเคราะห์wí-krɔ́ข้อมูลkɔ̂ɔ-muunควรkuuanวางแผนwaang-pɛ̌ɛnยังไงyang-ngaiให้hâiทักษะták-sàต่อเนื่องdtɔ̀ɔ-nʉ̂ʉang
If I want to switch from marketing to data analysis, how should I plan so that my skills are continuous?
4ParticleB2

emphatic reminder/identifier (…ไงไงngai1hey; yo (very casual attention-getter)2what's up?; how's it going? (casual)3how; in what way (colloq.)4emphatic reminder/identifier (…ไง ‘you know’) ‘you know’)

Colloquial final particle marking obviousness, reminder, or pointing out the referent (That’s what I said / that one, you know / because…, see?).

Examples

ก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerบอกbɔ̀ɔkบอกbɔ̀ɔk1[to] tell; inform2[to] tell; instruct; ask [sb] to do [sth]3[to] indicate; showแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)ไงngaiไงngai1hey; yo (very casual attention-getter)2what's up?; how's it going? (casual)3how; in what way (colloq.)4emphatic reminder/identifier (…ไง ‘you know’)ว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3[to] have [sb] do; cause to4for (benefit of)5so that; in order to6until; to the point that (result)เอาaoเอาao1[to] take; get; pick2[to] want (request/ordering)3[to] use; employ4[to] bring/take (for use)5marker: adverse consequence6come on; all right; go ahead7[to] have sex (vulgar slang)8auxiliary marking emphasis or resultร่มrômร่มrôm1umbrella; parasol2shady; cool (shaded); protected3shade; shelterมาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerฝนตกหนักfǒn-dtòk-nàkฝนตกหนักfǒn-dtòk-nàk[to] rain heavily; pourเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedเห็นhěnเห็นhěn1[to] see2[to] notice; [to] realize; [to] find (that)3[to] think; [to] be of the opinion4[to] consider; [to] regard asไหมmǎiไหมmǎi1yes–no question particle; or not?2silk
See? I told you to bring an umbrella—the rain is pouring, you know.
3 more examples
คนkonนั้นnánไงngaiที่tîiครูkruuพูดถึงpûut-tʉ̌ngเมื่อเช้าmʉ̂ʉa-cháoจำjamได้ไหมdâai-mǎi
That one, you know—the person the teacher mentioned this morning. Remember?
เขาkǎoถึงบ้านtʉ̌ng-bâanช้าcháaเพราะprɔ́รถติดrót-dtìtไงngaiเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเย็นyenมีmiiอุบัติเหตุù-bàt-dtì-hèetบนbonทางด่วนtaang-dùuan
He got home late because of traffic, see? There was an accident on the expressway this evening.
เราraoถึงtʉ̌ngย้ำyámหลายรอบlǎai-rɔ̂ɔpไงngaiว่าwâaอย่าลืมyàa-lʉʉmส่งงานsòng-ngaanก่อนgɔ̀ɔnห้าhâaโมงmoongไม่งั้นmâi-ngánระบบrá-bòpปิดbpìt
That’s why I kept reminding you to submit before five—otherwise the system closes, you know.

Tones

See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.

How the tone is decided

  1. Consonant classLow class
  2. Tone markNo tone mark
  3. Syllable endingLive syllableThe vowel ไ hides a final -ย, so it is live.

Low class consonants

คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ

Result

Mid tone

ngai

Level, in your normal speaking voice.

Low class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Mid

Tone chart

Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.

Mid classHigh classLow class
No mark + liveMidRisingMid
No mark + dead shortLowLowHigh
No mark + dead longLowLowFalling
Mai ekLowLowFalling
Mai thoFallingFallingHigh
Mai triHigh——
Mai chattawaRising——

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