Daily Thai Confidence: Using เหงา (hngǎo)

Adjective: เหงา (^hngǎo)
Meaning: is lonely

In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the adjective เหงา (^hngǎo), which means ‘lonely’ or ‘to feel lonely’. It is commonly used to describe an emotional state when someone feels alone, misses companionship, or wishes they had someone to spend time with. It can be placed right after the subject; however, it often appears after verbs like รู้สึก (rúu-sèuk = to feel), ดู (dūu = to look / seem), or ดูเหมือน (dūu ^hměuan = to seem like).

For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-^awyàang chên)

chǎn ^hngǎo níd-^hnòi chûang-née p^hrót fāen bpāi t^hām-ngāan dtàang jāng-^hwàd
Literal: I lonely a little period-this because partner go do-work different province.
I am a little lonely these days because my partner has gone to work in another province.

The phrase ต่างจังหวัด (dtàang jāng-^hwàd) means ‘outside the main city’ or ‘out of town’. It is commonly used to describe places that are not in Bangkok or another major city.

p^hǒm rúu-sèuk ^hngǎo wān-nēe p^hrót p^hǒm k^híd-t^hěung k^hrâwb-k^hrūa k^hǎwng-p^hǒm
Literal: I feel lonely day-this because I miss family belonging to-me.
I feel lonely today because I miss my family.

The verb คิดถึง (k^híd-t^hěung) means ‘to miss someone’ or ‘to think about someone’ with affection. It is one of the most common and meaningful expressions used in everyday Thai conversation when Thai speakers want to express that someone is in their thoughts and that they wish they could see or be with that person.

^hlǎng-jàak yáai bâan bpāi āa-sǎi ^awyùu nāi chōn-ná-bòd, k^hǎo dūu ^hngǎo t^húk wān
Literal: After-from move house go live to be situated in countryside, he look lonely every day.
After moving to live in the countryside, he looks lonely every day.

The conjunction หลังจาก (^hlǎng-jàak) means ‘after’. It is used to connects two events in time and shows that one happens after another. It can appear at the beginning of a phrase to introduce the first action that happen earlier. The second part of the sentence then describes what happens next.

t^hâa k^hūn ^hngǎo, k^hūn t^hōo māa k^hūi gàb chǎn dâi ná
Literal: If you lonely, you call come chat with me can okay?
If you feel lonely, you can call me and talk to me, okay?

The particle นะ (ná) is often used at the end of a sentence to add warmth, friendliness, or encouragement. It in this sentence, นะ (ná) makes the invitation sound kind and caring, rather than neutral or blunt. It is like adding ‘okay?’ in English when we want to encourage someone to do something.

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

1. I usually feel lonely at night.
2. She feels lonely when her family is not at home.
3. Sometimes I feel lonely.
4. He is lonely because he lives alone.
5. Some days the house is so quiet that it feels lonely.

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Urai Khomkham

Hi, I’m Urai Khomkham, a Thai language teacher and the creator of Thai Language Tuition UK. I help learners understand how Thai really works, so they can stop guessing and start feeling confident using the language in real life. Inside the community, I share clear lessons, practical explanations, and gentle guidance to support steady, meaningful progress — without pressure or overwhelm. I also share free Thai lessons and learning tips on my YouTube channel, where I break things down step by step and help you build strong foundations at your own pace. By subscribing, you’re not only supporting your own learning — you’re also helping me continue creating free resources to support you and other learners on their Thai journey.

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