ไฉน
chà-nǎiMeaning
1AdverbC1
why (formal/literary); how (archaic/poetic)
why; for what reason (formal/literary); how; in what way (archaic/poetic)
Examples
เธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herทิ้งtíngทิ้งtíng1[to] throw away; discard2[to] drop; let fall3[to] abandon; desert4[to] leave behind; leave (sth) behind5[to] waste; squanderฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already pastโดยdooiโดยdooi1by; via; through2in a ... way; -lyไม่มีmâi-miiไม่มีmâi-mii1to not have; lack2there is/are not; does/do not exist3[reply] we don't have it; out of stockเหตุผลhèet-pǒnเหตุผลhèet-pǒn1reason; justification2reasoning; rationalityแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)ไฉนchà-nǎiไฉนchà-nǎiwhy (formal/literary); how (archaic/poetic)วันนี้wan-níiวันนี้wan-níi1today (time of speech)2today; this day3nowadays; at presentจึงjʉngจึงjʉng1therefore; so; thus2only then; then (as a result)กลับมาglàp-maaกลับมาglàp-maa1[to] come back; return2[to] resume; make a comeback; be back
You left me for no reason, so why have you returned today?
3 more examplesShow less
เมื่อmʉ̂ʉaทุกอย่างtúk-yàangกำลังgam-langไปได้ดีbpai-dâai-diiไฉนchà-nǎiโชคชะตาchôok-chá-dtaaจึงjʉngเล่นตลกlên-dtà-lòkกับgàpเราraoเช่นนี้chên-níi
When everything was going so well, why did fate play such a cruel trick on us?
ความยุติธรรมkwaam-yú-dtì-tamที่tîiทุกคนtúk-konใฝ่หาfài-hǎaไฉนchà-nǎiเลยləəiจึงjʉngดูเลือนรางduu-lʉʉan-raangและlɛ́ไกลเกินเอื้อมglai-gəən-ʉ̂ʉam
The justice that everyone seeks, why then does it seem so faint and out of reach?
ท่านtânผู้รู้pûu-rúuได้dâaiกล่าวglàaoไว้wáiว่าwâaสรรพสิ่งsàp-pá-sìngล้วนlúuanอนิจจังà-nít-jangแต่dtɛ̀ɛไฉนchà-nǎiมนุษย์má-nútเราraoจึงjʉngยังyangยึดติดyʉ́t-dtìtมิmíจางjaang
The wise have said that all things are impermanent, but why do we humans still cling to them so persistently?
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is ไฉน said ฉะ-ไหน?
chà-nǎi
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableA short vowel with no final consonant, so it is dead.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Low tone
chà
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
High class + No tone mark + Dead syllable → Low
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 | — | — |