หึง
heung
The Thai word for jealous is หึง (heung).
The word หึง is used almost exclusively in the context of romantic jealousy or suspicion of a partner's infidelity.
Meaning: envious, feeling resentful of someone for a perceived advantage, material or otherwise (adj)
Which one should you use?
While both can be translated as jealous, หึง (heung) is used specifically for romantic jealousy. In contrast, use อิจฉา (it-cha) when expressing envy regarding someone's success, beauty or possessions.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Thai, หึง functions as a verb or an adjective that does not require a copula like 'is/am/are' to express the state of being jealous.
How do you pronounce it?
heung
Did you know?
- If a Thai person is teasingly called ขี้หึง (khee-heung), the prefix ขี้ implies that being jealous is a habitual personality trait, similar to saying someone is 'prone to' jealousy.
- In some Thai contexts, the intensity of romantic jealousy expressed by หึง (heung) can be modified by words that describe physical heat, reflecting the 'hot' feeling of passion and anger.
- In Thai culture, admitting to feeling หึง can sometimes be seen as a sign of affection or a way of showing how much you value your partner.
Examples in context
- อิจฉาจังเลย!I'm so jealous!
- แฟนฉันเป็นคนขี้หึงfaen chan pen khon khi huengMy boyfriend is a jealous person.
Example conversation
A couple is talking about a friend.
- วิทวัส Witthawatคุณหึงเหรอที่ผมคุยกับเธอkhun hueng ro thi phom khui kap thoeAre you jealous that I'm talking to her?
- สิรินทร์ Sirinฉันไม่ได้หึงสักหน่อยchan mai dai hueng sak noiI'm not jealous at all.
- วิทวัส Witthawatแต่คุณดูหึงมากเลยนะtae khun du hueng mak loei naBut you look very jealous.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinคิดไปเองทั้งนั้นแหละkhit pai eng thang nan laeYou're just imagining it.
