ไช
chaiMeanings
1Proper nounA2
Chai (male nickname; short form of ไชยไชยchai1victory (literary/formal)2proper name element-/ชัยชัยchai1victory; triumph2Chai (male given name)-)
a Thai male given name or nickname, often a short form of names beginning with ไชยไชยchai1victory (literary/formal)2proper name element- or ชัยชัยchai1victory; triumph2Chai (male given name)-
Examples
เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉan1friend2classmate; colleague (peer)3companion; fellowเรียกrîiakเรียกrîiak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demandเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeไชchaiไชchai1Chai (male nickname; short form of ไชย-/ชัย-)2[to] bore; gnaw through3[to] penetrate; force one’s way in/throughเพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingชื่อจริงchʉ̂ʉ-jingชื่อจริงchʉ̂ʉ-jinggiven name; first nameยาวyaaoยาวyaao1long (length)2long (duration)3[to] grow long; become longer
Friends call him Chai because his real name is long.
3 more examplesShow less
The teacher asked whether Chai is a nickname or a real name.
He introduced himself as Chai, short for Chaiyawat.
2VerbB2
[to] bore; gnaw through
to make a hole by boring, drilling, or gnawing into something
Examples
ช่างchângช่างchâng1artisan; mechanic; technician2crafts-; technical (prefix)3never mind; let it be4how (exclamatory)5[to] be inclined to; be given toใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderสว่านsà-wàanสว่านsà-wàan1drill (tool)2auger (boring tool)ไชchaiไชchai1Chai (male nickname; short form of ไชย-/ชัย-)2[to] bore; gnaw through3[to] penetrate; force one’s way in/throughผนังpà-nǎngผนังpà-nǎng1wall (of a room/building)2wall (anatomy/biology)เพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉa1for; in order to2for the sake of; on behalf ofแขวนkwɛ̌ɛnแขวนkwɛ̌ɛn1[to] hang [sth]; suspend [sth] from above2[to] suspend; put on hold; shelveกรอบรูปgrɔ̀ɔp-rûupกรอบรูปgrɔ̀ɔp-rûuppicture frame; photo frame
The technician drilled into the wall to hang a picture frame.
3 more examplesShow less
The rat gnawed a hole in the cardboard box and escaped.
เครื่องมือkrʉ̂ʉang-mʉʉเก่าgàoทำให้tam-hâiต้องdtɔ̂ngใช้เวลาchái-wee-laaนานnaanกว่าจะgwàa-jàไชไม้chai-máaiทะลุtá-lúได้dâai
The old tools made it take a long time to bore through the wood.
ช่างchângภูเขาไฟpuu-kǎo-faiฟ้าfáaไชchaiพื้นpʉ́ʉnคอนกรีตkɔɔn-grìitอย่างระมัดระวังyàang-rá-mát-rá-wangเพื่อไม่ให้pʉ̂ʉa-mâi-hâiไปbpaiโดนdoonท่อtɔ̂ɔที่tîiฝังอยู่fǎng-yùuด้านล่างdâan-lâang
The electrician carefully drilled into the concrete floor to avoid hitting the pipes buried underneath.
3VerbB2
[to] penetrate; force one’s way in/through
to push, work, or wriggle one’s way into or through something
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillไชchaiไชchai1Chai (male nickname; short form of ไชย-/ชัย-)2[to] bore; gnaw through3[to] penetrate; force one’s way in/throughตัวdtuuaตัวdtuua1body; self; person (colloq.)2classifier: animals, garments, furniture, certain items; people (informal)3character; figureฝ่าfàaฝ่าfàa1[to] push through; break through2[to] defy; go againstฝูงfǔungฝูงfǔung1herd; flock; swarm (group of animals or similar things)2classifier for groups of animals/things3crowd; throng; mob (large group of people)คนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: peopleในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)คอนเสิร์ตkɔɔn-sə̀ətคอนเสิร์ตkɔɔn-sə̀ət1concert2classifier: งาน / รอบจนjonจนjon1poor2until; up to3so ... that; to the point ofไปถึงbpai-tʉ̌ngไปถึงbpai-tʉ̌ng1[to] arrive at; get to; reach (a place)2[to] reach; extend to (level/amount/scope)3[to] reach; be delivered to (sb/sth)หน้าเวทีnâa-wee-tiiหน้าเวทีnâa-wee-tiifront of the stageได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action marker
He wriggled his way through the crowd at the concert until he reached the front of the stage.
3 more examplesShow less
แมวmɛɛoตัวเล็กdtuua-lékไชchaiเข้าไปkâo-bpaiใต้dtâaiโซฟาsoo-faaแล้วlɛ́ɛoหายไปhǎai-bpaiทั้งตัวtáng-dtuua
The small cat pushed its way under the sofa and disappeared completely.
นักปีนเขาnák bpeen-kăoต้องdtôngไชchaiผ่านpàanพงpongหนาทึบnăa téupและláeช่องหินchông hĭnแคบkâepๆ-กว่าจะgwàa jàถึงtĕungถ้ำtâm
The climbers had to work their way through dense thickets and narrow rock crevices before reaching the cave.
เรือreuuaค่อยkôiๆ-ไชchaiเข้าไปในkâo bpai naiผืนน้ำpĕun náamที่têeเต็มไปด้วยdtem bpai dûuaiสาหร่ายsăa-ràaiโดยdoiอาศัยaa-săiกระแสน้ำgrà-săe náamพยุงpà-yungทางtaang
The boat slowly pushed its way into waters thick with algae, using the current to hold its course.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableThe vowel ไ hides a final -ย, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
chai
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 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 | — | — |