เจ็บ

Explanation

The central idea of เจ็บ is experiencing pain, either physically or emotionally. In Thai, it can function directly as the predicate: ฉันเจ็บขา means “My leg hurts.” For physical pain, เจ็บตรงไหน (“Where does it hurt?”) and เจ็บไหม (“Does it hurt?”) are extremely common. เจ็บ can also refer to illness, but ป่วย is clearer for simply saying that someone is sick, while ไม่สบาย is common for feeling unwell. เจ็บ also applies naturally to emotional pain. The compound เจ็บใจ specifically conveys hurt mixed with resentment, frustration, or wounded pride rather than simple sadness.

Usage

It is commonly used after a fall or injury, during a medical examination, or whenever someone asks about or reports a painful body part. It is also used for emotional pain caused by heartbreak, cruel words, or betrayal. In the illness sense, it often appears in established combinations such as เจ็บหนัก.

Caution

For aches or ongoing internal pain, ปวด is often more natural, as in ปวดหัว (“have a headache”) and ปวดท้อง (“have a stomachache”). เจ็บหัว may suggest that the outside of the head is injured or sore to the touch. However, เจ็บคอ is the standard expression for having a sore throat.

1 hurt synonyms

• ปวด

  pùat ache

  ปวด is commonly used for an ache or ongoing internal pain, such as a headache, stomachache, or muscle pain. เจ็บ is especially common for pain caused by an injury, wound, touch, or movement.

2 be ill synonyms

• ป่วย

  pùay be ill

  ป่วย is the ordinary, unambiguous word for being ill. เจ็บ in the sense of illness occurs more often in expressions such as เจ็บหนัก or when the context makes the illness clear.

• ไม่สบาย

  ไม่สบาย is a gentle, conversational way to say that someone feels unwell. เจ็บ primarily centers on pain and, in its illness sense, often appears in combinations describing a more serious condition.

3 feel hurt synonyms

• เจ็บปวด

  เจ็บปวด can refer to either physical or emotional suffering and usually sounds deeper or more intense. เจ็บ is the shorter, more basic word and can also express an immediate sensation of pain.

• เสียใจ

  sǐa cay feel sad

  เสียใจ broadly expresses sadness, regret, or disappointment. เจ็บ more strongly suggests the emotional pain of having been hurt by something or someone.