นินทา
gossip about someone
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 gossip about someone、talk behind someone's back
This word refers to talking negatively or nosily about someone behind their back, often about their faults, behavior, or private life.
gossip about someone、talk behind someone's back
To speak critically or spread unkind gossip about someone when they are not present.
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อย่านินทาคนอื่น yàa ninthaa khon ʉ̀ʉn Don't gossip about other people. อย่านินทาคนอื่น details
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เขาชอบนินทาเพื่อนร่วมงาน khǎw chɔ̂ɔp ninthaa phʉ̂an rûam ŋaan He likes to gossip about his coworkers. เขาชอบนินทาเพื่อนร่วมงาน details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of นินทา is speaking unfavorably about someone when that person is not present. It is more negative than ordinary conversation and often concerns a person's faults, mistakes, behavior, or private life. As a verb, นินทา can be followed by the person being discussed. นินทาว่า introduces what people are saying, while ลับหลัง (“behind someone's back”) makes the person's absence explicit. The word can also function as a noun. คำนินทา commonly refers to disparaging remarks or gossip, while การนินทา refers to the act of gossiping.
Usage
It is commonly used when people discuss an absent coworker, classmate, friend, neighbor, or acquaintance in a critical or nosy way. It also appears frequently in advice or moral warnings, such as อย่านินทาคนอื่น (“Don't gossip about other people”).
Caution
Do not normally use นินทา for neutrally mentioning or discussing someone; พูดถึง is more appropriate for that. Also, English “gossip” can sometimes sound light or entertaining, but นินทา generally carries a negative sense of talking about someone behind their back.
Differences from similar words
1 gossip about someone synonyms
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ซุบซิบ means to whisper or chat privately and may simply refer to exchanging gossip. นินทา more specifically involves speaking negatively about someone behind their back.