…ไม่ได้
…mâi dâai
In Thai, "cannot" is expressed as …ไม่ได้ (…mâi dâai). Wiktionary also lists …ไม่เป็น (…mâi bpen).
Meaning: cannot (verb)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| …ไม่ได้ | …mâi dâai |
| …ไม่เป็น | …mâi bpen |
The phrase …ไม่ได้ is used when someone is unable to do something because of external circumstances, lack of opportunity or because they are not allowed to.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase …ไม่ได้ is literally composed of the negation particle 'mâi' (not) and the verb 'dâai' (to get/obtain/be able to).
Which one should you use?
While …ไม่ได้ is used when someone is unable to do something because of external circumstances, lack of opportunity or because they are not allowed to, …ไม่เป็น is used when someone cannot do something because they do not know how to do it or lack the necessary skill.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase …ไม่ได้ is placed after the main verb in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
…mâi dâai
Did you know?
- Thai uses ไม่เป็น to describe someone who cannot handle a certain taste or sensation, such as 'cannot eat spicy food' because they lack the tolerance.
- The particle ไม่ได้ is so versatile that it can also be used to mean 'did not' in certain past tense constructions, even though it primarily means 'cannot'.
- Adding the word หรอก after ไม่ได้ transforms the phrase into a gentle contradiction, used to tell someone 'that is not possible' in a softer way.
Examples in context
- ไม่สามารถทำได้I cannot do it.
- ฉันไม่สามารถมาในวันนั้นได้I cannot come on that day.
- ขอโทษค่ะ วันนั้นฉันไม่สะดวกI'm sorry, I cannot on that day.
- อันนี้ฉันไม่ได้เลยจริงๆI really cannot do this at all.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cannot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
