Negation in Thai with “mâi”

ไม่ (mâi) is generally used to:

  1. negate adjectives
  2. negate verbs in the present or future
  3. talk about what you do not do as a habit now or in the past

So you would typically use ไม่ (mâi) to express things like “I’m not hungry”, “I don’t want to eat”, “I’m not eating”, “I don’t like to eat meat” or “in the past, I didn’t eat meat”.

Contents
  1. Negating verbs
    1. Structure
    2. Examples
  2. Negating Adjectives
    1. Structure
    2. Examples
  3. Common mistake
    1. Explanation
    2. Examples

Negating verbs

Structure

To negate a verb in the present or the future, you just have to put ไม่ (mâi) before it.

The only exception is the negation of เป็น (bpen) and คือ (keu) which uses ไม่ใช่ (mâi châi).

⭐️ ไม่ (mâi) + verb

Examples

  • ไม่ชอบกินก๋วยเตี๋ยว mâi chôp gin gŭuay-dtĭieow ➜ I don’t like to eat noodles.
  • ทำไมไม่อยากไปประเทศไทย tam-mai mâi yàak bpai bprà-têt tai ➜ Why do you not want to go to Thailand?
  • ฉันไม่รู้จักคนนี้ chăn mâi róo jàk kon née ➜ I don’t know this person.
  • ปรกติคนพุทธไม่ดื่มเหล้า bpròk-gà-dtì kon pút mâi dèum lâo ➜ Usually, Buddhists don’t drink alcohol.
  • เมื่อก่อนทอมไม่เล่นกีฬาแต่เดี๋ยวนี้เล่น mêuua gòn tom mâi lên gee-laa dtàe dĭieow née lên ➜ Before, Tom didn't play sports, but these days he does.
  • เด็กอนุบาลไม่ต้องไปโรงเรียนพรุ่งนี้ dèk à-nú-baan mâi dtông bpai rohng riian prûng-née ➜ The kindergarteners don’t have to go to school tomorrow.

Negating Adjectives

Structure

The same structure applies to negating adjectives. Just put ไม่ (mâi) before the adjective.

⭐️ ไม่ (mâi) + adjective

Examples

  • บริษัทไม่ใหญ่ bor-rí-sàt mâi yài ➜ The company is not big.
  • ฉันไม่หิว chăn mâi hĭw ➜ I’m not hungry.
  • ตู้เย็นไม่แพง dtôo yen mâi paeng ➜ The refrigerator is not expensive.
  • ผู้หญิงไทยไม่สวย pôo yĭng tai mâi sŭuay ➜ Thai women are not beautiful.
  • โรงเรียนไม่ดี rohng riian mâi dee ➜ The school is not good.
  • โรงพยาบาลไม่สะอาด rohng pá-yaa-baan mâi sà-àat ➜ The hospital is not clean.

Common mistake

Explanation

The common mistake is to negate a one-time action you didn’t do using ไม่ (mâi) + verb.

To negate a one-time action you didn’t do, use ไม่ได้ (mâi dâai) + verb.

Meaning if you want to say “I didn’t do something yesterday”, you need to use ไม่ได้ (mâi dâai) + verb

Examples

  • Question เมื่อวานไปพัทยาหรือเปล่า mêuua waan bpai pát-tá-yaa rĕu bplào ➜ Did you go to Pattaya yesterday?
  • Wrong Answer ไม่ไป mâi bpai 👉 (mâi bpai gives the feeling of "not going, will not go")
    Correct Answer ✅ ไม่ได้ไป mâi dâai bpai 👉 (this means "didn't go") ➜ I didn't go.