Daily Thai Confidence: Using เงียบ (ngîab)

Adjective: เงียบ (ngîab)
Meaning: is quiet / is silent / is calm

In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the adjective เงียบ (ngîab), which means ‘quiet,’ ‘silent,’ or ‘calm’. It is used to describe places, situations, or people when there is little or no noise. In Thai, adjectives often function as the main predicate of the sentence, so เงียบ (ngîab) can appear directly after the subject.

The typical structure usually follows the pattern: subject + เงียบ (ngîab).

For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-^awyàang chên)

hâwng née ngîab mâak
Literal: Room this quiet very.
This room is very quiet.

The demonstrative adjective นี้ (née) means ‘this’. It points to a specific person, object, place, or situation that is near to the speaker or already understood in the conversation — noun + นี้ (née).

^hmùu-bâan née dūu ngîab mâak
Literal: Village this look quiet very.
This village looks very quiet.

The adverb of degree มาก (mâak) means ‘very,’ ‘much,’ or ‘ very much’. It is used to increase the intensity of an adjective or verb, or to show a large quantity or degree.

k^hǎo bpēn k^hōn ngîab láe mâi k^hôi p^hûud-k^hūi gàb k^hrāi
Literal: He to be person quiet and not so much speak-chat with anyone.
He is a quiet person and doesn’t talk much to anyone.

The negative adverb ไม่ค่อย (mâi k^hôi) means ‘not very,’ ‘not quiet,’ or ‘not really’. It is used to soften a negative statement rather than making a strong or absolute negative. Instead of saying something does not happen at all, it suggests that it happens rarely, slightly, or less than expected.

t^hêe-nêe ngîab mâak-gēun-bpāi dtāwn glāang-k^hēun
Literal: Here quiet too much at middle-night.
It’s too quiet here at night.

The adverb of degree มากเกินไป (mâak-gēun-bpāi) means ‘too much’ or ‘excessively’. It is used when something is more than what is appropriate, comfortable, or necessary — verb / adjective + มากเกินไป (mâak-gēun-bpāi).

Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.

1. The house is too quiet.
2. This café is quiet in the morning.
3. That street is very quiet at night.
4. The library is always quiet.
5. The children are quiet today.

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