It goes without saying that the Thai language is beautiful. Just listen to Minnie, the Thai member of the South Korean K-pop girl group (G)-IDLE ((여자)아이들), sing their hit song Hwaa (화) in the Thai language. The original Korean lyrics already sound beautiful enough, but there’s something about singing in Thai that makes the song more magical. It’s because of poetic Thai words!
In this guide, I’ll be sharing with you some of the most beautiful words in this language. These words commonly appear in Thai poetry (ร้อยกรอง), which is renowned for its rich use of imagery and symbolism. So if you’re looking to sound a little more eloquent, or perhaps, a little more romantic, read on to find out how. I’m sure you’ll be impressing people left and right with your Thai language prowess then!
Poetic Thai Words
Let us straightaway start with learning the Thai words that are considered beautiful and poetic.
Beautiful In Thai: สวย (sǔay)
Of course, you can’t learn about beautiful words in Thai without learning the word “beautiful” itself. The word for beautiful is สวย (sǔay). Make sure you pronounce it in the correct tone though, or else you may end up saying ซวย (suay), which means unlucky instead! So be sure to speak slowly and pronounce this Thai word correctly.
สวย (sǔay) means “beautiful” in Thai.
And let’s say you’re so mesmerized by someone’s beauty that you want to place even more emphasis. To do this, simply place the word มาก (mâak), which means “very,” behind the word สวย (sǔay). And if that isn’t enough, add เลย (ləəy) behind มาก (mâak) for even more emphasis! That way, they’ll know that you’re really interested.
สวยมาก (sǔay mâak) means “very beautiful” in Thai.
สวยมากเลย (sǔay mâak ləəy) means “very, very beautiful” in Thai.
คุณสวยมากเลย (Khun sǔay mâak ləəy) means “you’re very, very beautiful” in Thai.
“I Miss You” In Thai: คิดถึง (khítthʉ̌ŋ)
Everything works out, and you’re both feeling good about each other. You fall so deeply in love that you can’t help but miss the person whenever they’re not around.
In this instance, you can use the word คิดถึง (khítthʉ̌ŋ). The word คิด means “to think”, while the word “ถึง” means “to arrive”. Put together, “คิดถึง (khítthʉ̌ŋ)” means “to miss someone.” If you’re having difficulty saying this word, you can pronounce it something like “kid teung.”
คิดถึง (khítthʉ̌ŋ) means “to miss someone” in Thai.
ผม/ฉันคิดถึงเขา/เธอ (Phǒm/chǎn khítthʉ̌ŋ khǎw/thəə) means “I miss him/her” in Thai.
ผม/ฉันคิดถึงคุณ (Phǒm/chǎn khítthʉ̌ŋ khun) means “I miss you” in Thai.
Just imagine texting this word, or “kid teung,” to that person you’ve been thinking about all day, or using it during your next meeting. It’s definitely something that anyone would love to hear, so you’ll win them over even more!
“No Worries” In Thai: ไม่เป็นไร (mâypenray)
I’m sure you’re no stranger to this famous word, ไม่เป็นไร (mâypenray). After all, it’s a term that’s strongly ingrained in Thai culture. Other than “No worries”, it can also be translated to “It’s okay” or “It’s all right”. You could even call it the Thai version of “Hakuna Matata”! It’s the perfect word to use when you want to reassure someone.
ไม่เป็นไร (mâypenray) means “no worries” in Thai.
If you’re having trouble pronouncing this word, it sounds something like “mai bpen rai”. And if you’re speaking to someone you dote on or have a particularly soft spot for, you can add the particle จ๊ะ (já) to sound more gentle.
ไม่เป็นไรจ๊ะ (mâypenray já) means “no worries (gentle)” in Thai.
But be careful how you use it, because it can sometimes come off as sarcastic depending on the context! For example, famous GMMTV Thai actor Gun Atthaphan uses ไม่เป็นไรจ๊ะ (mâypenray já) at 16:11 in this video. But he’s not saying it in an endearing way. Instead, he’s saying it to sarcastically say that he’s fine when he’s actually mad at losing a game and having to do a punishment for it again!
“Really” In Thai: จริงๆ (ciŋciŋ)
If you really want to express your sincerity, using จริงๆ (ciŋciŋ), which means “truly” or “really,” would be a good idea. As a noun, the word จริง (ciŋ) can also mean “truth.” This is a word that Thai people use a lot when they want to show they’re serious about something or someone. If you’re not sure how to say this word, you can pronounce it as “jing jing.”
จริงๆ (ciŋciŋ) means “truly” in Thai.
To use this word, simply add it behind whatever you want to say to someone. Whether you’re talking about life, a poem, food, or if you just want to express your love and commitment to someone, this word is perfect for any occasion.
ชีวิตดีจริงๆ (Chiiwít diiciŋciŋ) means “Life is really good” in Thai.
บทกวีนี้สวยจริงๆ (Bòtkawii níi sǔay ciŋciŋ) means “This poem is really beautiful” in Thai.
ปลาตัวนี้อร่อยจริงๆ (Plaa tua níi arɔ̀y ciŋciŋ) means “This fish is really delicious” in Thai.
ผม/ฉันชอบคุณจริงๆ (Phǒm/chǎn chɔ̂ɔp khun ciŋciŋ) means “I really like you” in Thai.
ผม/ฉันอยากจูบคุณจริงๆ (Phǒm/chǎn yàak cùup khun ciŋciŋ) means “I really want to kiss you” in Thai.
“Heart” In Thai: ใจ (cay)
Last but not least, we have the word ใจ (cay), which means “heart” in Thai. If you’re not sure how to pronounce this word, it sounds something like “jai.” As the spiritual center of the body, ใจ (cay) is a word that appears in many Thai adjectives related to heartfelt feelings. These include:
ริงใจ (ciŋcay) means “be sincere” in Thai.
มั่นใจ (mâncay) means “be confident” in Thai.
พอใจ (phɔɔcay) means “be satisfied” in Thai.
เสียใจ (sǐacay) means “be sad” in Thai.
ตั้งใจ (tâŋcay) means “be focused” in Thai.
Of course, the list doesn’t end there, as there are many more Thai adjectives with the word ใจ (cay) or “jai” in them. And other than poems, this word appears in many Thai songs as well! Just take a look at these lyrics from the song “Just Being Friendly,” or เพื่อนเล่น ไม่เล่นเพื่อน (phʉ̂anlên mây lênphʉ̂an), by famous Thai band Tilly Birds and Thai rapper MILLI:
ใจเธอ คิดเหมือนกันหรือเปล่า (cay thəə khít mʉ̌ankan rʉ̌ʉplàaw) Do you feel the way I feel?
เจอแบบนี้ไป ฉันแอบเผลอ (cəə bɛ̀ɛp níi pay chǎn ɛ̀ɛp phlə̌ə) Though one-sided,
ใจให้ไปแม้มันไม่อาจเป็นจริง (cay hây pay mɛ́ɛ man mây àat penciŋ) My feelings are getting too real.
Learn The Thai Language With Ling
Of course, these aren’t the only poetic words in the Thai language. Words like รัก (rák – love), สุข (sùk – happiness), ยิ้ม (yím – smile), ลม (lom- wind), and ตะวัน (tàwan – sun) are really beautiful too!
If you want to learn even more poetic Thai words, you should totally download the Ling app. With it, you can learn all about the language, such as how to write the Thai script, pronounce words, learn vocabulary, and much more! And if that isn’t enough, you can definitely supplement your learning by reading Thai poetry as well.
So, what are you waiting for? Download the Ling app from the App Store or Play Store and start learning Thai today! โชคดีนะ (chôokdii ná)!
