How do you say "I don't understand" in Thai?

ไม่เข้าใจ (mâi khâo-jai). Politeness: a man adds ครับ khráp and a woman adds ค่ะ khâ. So ไม่เข้าใจครับ mâi khâo-jai khráp (man) and ไม่เข้าใจค่ะ mâi khâo-jai khâ (woman). Both are statements, so a woman uses the falling ค่ะ khâ here. A woman uses the high คะ khá only in questions.

How to say "I don't understand" in Thai (with phonetics)

ไม่เข้าใจ

mâi khâo-jai

I don't understand.

When you are when someone speaks too fast, this is the everyday way to say "I don't understand" in Thai.

Tips

Politeness: a man adds ครับ khráp and a woman adds ค่ะ khâ. So ไม่เข้าใจครับ mâi khâo-jai khráp (man) and ไม่เข้าใจค่ะ mâi khâo-jai khâ (woman). Both are statements, so a woman uses the falling ค่ะ khâ here. A woman uses the high คะ khá only in questions.
Tone tip: mâi and khâo are both falling tones in a row, so drop the pitch on each. Keep jai flat and mid, without a rise at the end.
For someone speaking too fast, add: พูดช้าๆ หน่อย phûut cháa-cháa nòi (please speak slowly). With the particle it is พูดช้าๆ หน่อยครับ/ค่ะ phûut cháa-cháa nòi khráp/khâ.

Word by word

ไม่ mâi: not (Falling tone. Starts high and drops.)
เข้าใจ khâo-jai: to understand (Literally 'enter the heart'. khâo is falling, jai is mid (flat).)

Say it your own way

Type it half in English, half in Thai, spelled any way you like: Thinglish works out what you meant and gives you the Thai with tones and a native voice.

More phrases

Romanisation and tones are written by the Thinglish tutor. Generated 2026-10-24.