ไม่มี

Explanation

ไม่มี consists of ไม่, which marks negation, and มี, meaning “exist,” “be present,” or “have.” Its central idea is the absence of the state expressed by มี. English uses different constructions such as “there is no,” “isn't here,” and “don't have,” but Thai commonly uses ไม่มี for all of them. A basic pattern is “subject or place + ไม่มี + the absent thing.” ไม่มี can also stand alone as a negative answer to a มี…ไหม question. Common combinations include ไม่มีอะไร (nothing; it's nothing), ไม่มีใคร (no one), ไม่มีเวลา (have no time), and ไม่มีปัญหา (no problem).

Usage

It is used throughout everyday life to say that a person or object is absent, that someone has no money or time, that a store does not carry an item or size, or that a place lacks a facility or service.

Caution

For a person who is merely away from a particular place, ไม่อยู่ is usually more natural. เขาไม่อยู่ means “he isn't here right now,” while ไม่มีเขา presents his absence more broadly and can mean “without him,” depending on context.

1 not exist synonyms

• ขาด

  khàat lack

  ขาด emphasizes that something necessary is lacking, missing, or insufficient. ไม่มี neutrally states that something is not present or possessed.

• ไม่อยู่

  ไม่อยู่ means that a person is currently away or not at a particular place. ไม่มี is broader: it says that someone or something is absent or nonexistent, or that someone does not have something.