Verb: ไม่สนใจ (mâi sǒn-jāi)
Meaning: to not care / to not be interested / to ignore
In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the verb เอาแต่ (āo-dtàe), which means ‘to not care,’ ‘to not be interested,’ or ‘to ignore.’ It expresses a lack of attention, interest, or emotional involvement toward someone or something.
It made up of two words:
- ไม่ (mâi) = not
- สนใจ (sǒn-jāi) = to be interested / to pay attention
Together, ไม่สนใจ (mâi sǒn-jāi) means ‘not interested’ or ‘not paying attention.’ It can be used with people, ideas, situations, feeling, or responsibilities.
The typical structure usually follows the pattern: subject +ไม่สนใจ (mâi sǒn-jāi).
For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-awyàang chên)
ฉันไม่สนใจเรื่องนั้น
chǎn mâi sǒn-jāi rêuang nán
Literal: I not interested matter that.
I am not interested in that matter.
The noun เรื่อง (rêuang) means ‘story,’ ‘matter,’ ‘issue,’ or ‘topic.’ Its meaning changes slightly depending on context, but the core idea is ‘a subject or thing being talked about.’
เขาไม่สนใจฉันเลย
khǎo mâi sǒn-jāi chǎn lēuy
Literal: He not interested me at all.
He doesn’t care about me at all.
The adverb เลย (lēuy) means ‘at all.’ ‘whatsoever,’ or ‘not…at all.’ It adds emphasis to a negative sentence —ไม่ (mâi = not) + verb + เลย (lēuy = at all / whatsoever).
เธอไม่สนใจเรื่องการเมือง
thēr mâi sǒn-jāi rêuang gāan-mēuang
Literal: She not interested in topic politics.
She is not interested in politics.
The noun การเมือง (gāan-mēuang) means ‘politics’ or ‘political affairs.’ It refers to the activities, system, and processes involved in governing a country, making public decisions, and exercising power.
เขาไม่สนใจว่าคนอื่นจะคิดอย่างไร
khǎo mâi sǒn-jāi wâa khōn èun jà khíd awyàang-rāi
Literal: He not interested that people other will think how.
He doesn’t care what other people think.
The phrase คิดอย่างไร (khíd awyàang-rāi) means ‘What do you think?”, ‘How do you think about it?’, or ‘What is your opinion?’ It is used when asking someone for their thoughts, view, or feeling about a particular topic. In this sentence, however, it forms an indirect question meaning ‘what other think,’ ‘what opinion others have,’ or ‘how others view him or the situation.’
Homework (การบ้าน — gāan-bâan)
Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.
- She acts like she doesn’t care about me.
- He doesn’t care about the news at all.
- He is not very interested in studying.
- She doesn’t care about what is happening around her.
- I don’t care about those small matters.
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