จงใจ

Explanation

จงใจ emphasizes that a person consciously chose an action rather than doing it accidentally. It describes the deliberate nature of the action, not whether the intended result was achieved. The usual pattern is จงใจ followed by a verb, such as จงใจทำ (“do deliberately”) or จงใจพูด (“say deliberately”). The pattern จงใจไม่ + verb means deliberately choosing not to do something. ไม่ได้จงใจ is especially common in explanations and apologies, meaning “I didn't do it on purpose” or “I didn't mean to.” When the action is already clear from context, the following verb may be omitted.

Usage

It is commonly used when discussing whether an action—such as breaking something, refusing to answer, withholding information, or saying something hurtful—was accidental or deliberate. It also appears in workplace explanations, news reports, and discussions of rules or responsibility.

Caution

Because it is often used when assigning blame or expressing suspicion, asking someone คุณจงใจหรือเปล่า can sound accusatory. However, the word itself does not necessarily imply malicious intent.

1 deliberately synonyms

• ตั้งใจ

  ตั้งใจ can mean “intend to,” but it also commonly describes concentrating or making a serious effort. จงใจ specifically stresses that an action was deliberate rather than accidental and often appears in contexts involving suspicion or blame.

• เจตนา

  cèettanaa intend

  เจตนา often refers to a person's intent or purpose and can sound more formal, especially in official or legal contexts. จงใจ commonly modifies an action directly and means doing it deliberately.