ง่วง

Explanation

ง่วง is a basic everyday word for the sleepy feeling experienced by people or animals. Thai state words can function directly as predicates, so ฉันง่วง means “I’m sleepy.” Do not add เป็น or คือ before ง่วง. Degree words normally follow it: ง่วงมาก means “very sleepy,” and ง่วงนิดหน่อย means “a little sleepy.” ไม่ง่วง means “not sleepy,” while ง่วงแล้ว indicates that someone has now become sleepy. Thai dictionaries may classify ง่วง as a stative verb. For practical learning, however, it is helpful to understand it as a state word corresponding to the adjective “sleepy.”

Usage

It is widely used when talking about sleepiness after staying up late, just after waking, after a meal, or during class or work. It can also communicate a need to stop and rest when someone feels sleepy while driving.

Caution

เหนื่อย means “tired,” หลับ refers to actually being asleep or falling asleep, and เบื่อ means “bored.” Use ง่วง when someone is still awake but feels sleepy.

1 sleepy synonyms

• ง่วงนอน

  ŋûaŋ nɔɔn be sleepy

  ง่วงนอน explicitly conveys feeling sleepy and ready to sleep. It is very common, but ง่วง alone naturally expresses the same basic sensation.

• อยากนอน

  อยากนอน means “want to sleep” and expresses a desire. ง่วง describes the physical sensation of sleepiness, whether or not the person intends to sleep.