เฉย
still
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 still、inactive
- 2 unresponsive、indifferent、unmoved
- 3 just okay、nothing special
- 4 just、for no particular reason
- 5 unexpectedly、for no apparent reason、without explanation
This word presents something as having no noticeable action, reaction, special quality, or hidden purpose. Depending on context, it can mean staying still, being indifferent, feeling neutral, or doing something “just because.”
still、inactive
Describes someone remaining still or inactive instead of doing something.
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อยู่เฉยๆ yùu chə̌əy chə̌əy stay still; do nothing อยู่เฉยๆ details
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นั่งเฉยๆ nâŋ chə̌əy chə̌əy sit there doing nothing นั่งเฉยๆ details
unresponsive、indifferent、unmoved
Describes someone showing little or no visible reaction, interest, or concern.
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เธอฟังแล้วก็เฉย thəə faŋ lɛ́ɛw kɔ̂ɔ chə̌əy She listened but showed no particular reaction. เธอฟังแล้วก็เฉย details
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ทำเฉย tham chə̌əy pretend not to notice ทำเฉย details
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เขาเฉยมาก khǎw chə̌əy mâak He shows almost no reaction. เขาเฉยมาก details
just okay、nothing special
Expresses a neutral or mildly unimpressed opinion: something is neither notably good nor strongly disliked.
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หนังเป็นยังไง — ก็เฉยๆ nǎŋ pen yaŋ ŋay kɔ̂ɔ chə̌əy chə̌əy How was the movie? — It was just okay. หนังเป็นยังไง — ก็เฉยๆ details
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อาหารร้านนี้เฉยๆ aahǎan ráan níi chə̌əy chə̌əy The food at this restaurant is nothing special. อาหารร้านนี้เฉยๆ details
just、for no particular reason
Placed after an action to say it was done merely or casually, without a special motive or hidden meaning.
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ถามเฉยๆ thǎam chə̌əy chə̌əy I was just asking. ถามเฉยๆ details
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แค่อยากรู้เฉยๆ khɛ̂ɛ yàak rúu chə̌əy chə̌əy I just wanted to know. แค่อยากรู้เฉยๆ details
unexpectedly、for no apparent reason、without explanation
Marks an event as happening unexpectedly and without an apparent reason, warning, or explanation.
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เขาหายไปเฉยๆ khǎw hǎay pay chə̌əy chə̌əy He just disappeared without any explanation. เขาหายไปเฉยๆ details
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คอมดับไปเฉยๆ khɔɔm dàp pay chə̌əy chə̌əy The computer suddenly shut down for no apparent reason. คอมดับไปเฉยๆ details
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เขาเดินออกไปเฉยๆ khǎw dəən ɔ̀ɔk pay chə̌əy chə̌əy He simply walked out without saying anything. เขาเดินออกไปเฉยๆ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of เฉย is an absence of noticeable movement, reaction, special quality, or particular intention. In everyday speech, เฉยๆ is much more common than เฉย by itself. The symbol ๆ repeats the preceding word, but the natural meaning of เฉยๆ varies with context: “still,” “indifferent,” “nothing special,” or “just.” Common patterns include อยู่เฉยๆ “stay still/do nothing,” ทำเฉย “pretend not to notice,” ก็เฉยๆ “it was just okay,” and verb + เฉยๆ “just do something, with no special intention.” After a verb describing an unexpected event, it can also imply surprise or annoyance because no reason, warning, or explanation was given.
Usage
This is a very common everyday word. It is used when asking someone to stay still, describing a person who shows no reaction, giving an unenthusiastic opinion about a movie or meal, or explaining that an action had no deeper purpose. It is also common when something unexpected happens without an obvious cause or explanation.
Caution
As an opinion, เฉยๆ is not an enthusiastic “not bad.” It may sound mildly negative or dismissive, as if the speaker was unimpressed. When used about a person, เฉย can suggest indifference or an inadequate response rather than admirable calmness. In the sense “just did something,” it normally follows the verb, as in ถามเฉยๆ “I was just asking.”
Differences from similar words
1 still synonyms
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นิ่ง primarily describes physical stillness or quietness. เฉย can also imply not taking any action.
2 unresponsive synonyms
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ใจเย็น positively describes someone as calm and not easily upset. เฉย can suggest indifference or a lack of response, so it is not necessarily complimentary.
3 just okay synonyms
4 just synonyms
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เพียง also means “only” or “merely” and is suitable for more formal writing. เฉยๆ is conversational and often used to downplay one's intention.
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แค่ normally comes before what it limits and means “only” or “just.” เฉยๆ follows the verb and emphasizes that the action had no special motive. The two can also occur together.
5 unexpectedly synonyms
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จู่ๆ focuses on the suddenness of an event. After a verb, เฉยๆ often additionally suggests that an expected reason, explanation, or warning was missing.