chan mai khao chai
ฉันไม่เข้าใจ
Practical peer review by Hawk
Practical analysis
Quick Take
This is the standard, polite way to say 'I don't understand' in Thai. Safe to use in all situations - formal meetings, casual conversations, with strangers or friends. Essential phrase that every learner needs.
Accuracy
The explanation is accurate. Romanization, meanings, and grammar points are all correct. The note about ฉัน being historically more common for women is outdated - it's now standard for both genders in most contexts.
Perfectly neutral formality. This is the default phrase everyone uses. You won't sound weird or overly formal/casual. Works everywhere.
Common Pitfalls
Don't pronounce เข้าใจ as 'cow chai' - it's 'khao chai' with a rising tone on เข้า
Avoid adding extra particles like 'ครับ/ค่ะ' unless in very formal situations - the phrase is complete as-is
Don't use กู/มึง pronouns with this phrase unless you're very close friends
Better Alternatives
More casual: 'ไม่เข้าใจ' (drop the pronoun). Very formal: 'ผม/ดิฉันไม่เข้าใจ' (male/female formal pronouns). Slang: 'งง' (confused/don't get it).
This phrase is a direct and common way to express that one does not understand something. It is polite and widely applicable in various situations, from not understanding a spoken sentence to not grasping a concept or instruction. The pronoun 'ฉัน' (chan) is a standard first-person pronoun, generally polite and can be used by both men and women, though historically more common for women or in formal male speech.
In Thai, negation is typically formed by placing the negative particle 'ไม่' (mai) directly before the verb or adjective it negates. The structure is often Subject + ไม่ (mai) + Verb/Adjective.
'ฉัน' (chan) is a common first-person pronoun. While it can be used by both genders, other pronouns like 'ผม' (phom) for males or 'หนู' (nu) for children/younger speakers are also common depending on gender, age, and formality.
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