ไหง
ngǎiMeanings
1AdverbB1
why; how come
A colloquial question word meaning 'why' or 'how come', often showing surprise or disbelief. Roughly equivalent to standard Thai 'ทำไมทำไมtam-mai1why (question word)2why (expressing disbelief/complaint)'.
Examples
อ้าวâaoอ้าวâao1oh!; hey! (surprise/realization)2hey! (mild reproach/attention)เธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâa1[to] say/tell that; report/declare that2[of text/sign] say/indicate thatไม่ว่างmâi-wâangไม่ว่างmâi-wâang1busy; not free2occupied; taken (of a seat/room/line)ไหงngǎiไหงngǎi1why; how come2how come!; why!มาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerอยู่ที่yùu-tîiอยู่ที่yùu-tîi1[to] be at; be located at2[to] be at (a level/amount)3[to] depend on; be up toนี่nîiนี่nîi1this (colloq.)2this; this one (pronoun)3here is…; look/listen (attention-getter)ได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action markerล่ะlâล่ะlâ1topic/contrast particle; question tag2sentence-final particle (casual emphasis)
Hey, you said you were busy. How come you're here?
3 more examplesShow less
เราraoตกลงกันdtòk-long-ganว่าwâaจะjàไปbpaiดูหนังduu-nǎngไม่ใช่mâi-châiเหรอrə̌əไหงngǎiเธอtəəเปลี่ยนใจbplìian-jaiไปbpaiเดินห้างdəən-hâangซะงั้นsá-ngán
Didn't we agree to go see a movie? How come you changed your mind and went to the mall instead?
เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanยังyangเห็นhěnบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaชอบchɔ̂ɔpสีฟ้าsǐi-fáaอยู่yùuเลยləəiไหงngǎiวันนี้wan-níiซื้อsʉ́ʉเสื้อsʉ̂ʉaสีแดงsǐi-dɛɛngมาmaaใส่sàiล่ะlâ
Just yesterday I saw you say you liked blue. How come you bought and wore a red shirt today?
ทุกคนtúk-konก็gɔ̂ทำตามtam-dtaamขั้นตอนkân-dtɔɔnที่tîiวางแผนwaang-pɛ̌ɛnไว้wáiอย่างดีyàang-diiแล้วlɛ́ɛoไหงngǎiผลลัพธ์pǒn-lápมันmanถึงtʉ̌ngออกมาɔ̀ɔk-maaเละเทะlé-téแบบนี้bɛ̀ɛp-níiได้dâai
Everyone followed the well-laid-out plan. How come the result ended up being such a mess like this?
2InterjectionB1
how come!; why!
An exclamation expressing surprise, complaint, or disbelief about an unexpected situation.
Examples
อ้าวâaoอ้าวâao1oh!; hey! (surprise/realization)2hey! (mild reproach/attention)ไหงngǎiไหงngǎi1why; how come2how come!; why!ฝนตกfǒn-dtòkฝนตกfǒn-dtòkit is raining; [to] rainซะsáซะsá1imperative/emphatic particle2completive/emphatic particle (colloq.)แล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)ล่ะlâล่ะlâ1topic/contrast particle; question tag2sentence-final particle (casual emphasis)
Oh, how come it's suddenly raining?
3 more examplesShow less
How come you're not saying what we initially agreed upon?
You said you would definitely come. How did you just suddenly cancel the appointment like that?
ไหงngăiผลpŏnการพิจารณาgaan pí-jaa-rá-naaออกมาòk maaเป็นbpenแบบนี้bàep néeทั้งๆtáng tángที่têeเราraoเตรียมdtriiamเอกสารèk-gà-săanไปbpaiครบถ้วนkróp tûuanทุกอย่างtúk yàangแล้วláeo
How could the result of the consideration turn out like this, even though we had already prepared all the documents completely?
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh classLeading หA silent ห before ง puts this syllable in high class.
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableThe vowel ไ hides a final -ย, so it is live.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Rising tone
ngǎi
Dips low first, then rises clearly.
High class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Rising
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 | — | — |