Verb: สะกิดใจ (sà-gìd jāi)
Meaning: to dawn on / to strike a chord / to be bother (by something)
In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the verb สะกิดใจ (sà-gìd jāi), which means ‘to sudden dawn on’ or ‘to strike a chord.’ It refers to a subtle emotional or mental nudge that triggers sudden awareness, reflection, or emotional response. It describes the moment when something gently but meaningfully touched the mind or heart, causing a person to notice, feel, or realise something more deeply than before.
Unlike stronger emotional verbs, สะกิดใจ (sà-gìd jāi) is not overwhelming or dramatic. Instead, it is often quiet, indirect, and momentary, but it creates a shift in thinking or feeling — like something has been “awakened” inside the mind.
It made up of two words:
- สะกิด (sà-gìd) = to tap / to nudge / to poke lightly
- ใจ (jāi) = heart / mind
Together, สะกิดใจ (sà-gìd jāi) means ‘to gently poke the heart’ or ‘to gently poke the mind.’
It always implies:
- emotional awareness
- a sudden thought or memory
- gentle emotional impact
- reflection or realisation
It is soften than ‘shock’ but deeper than ‘notice.’
The typical structure usually follows the pattern: something + สะกิดใจ (sà-gìd jāi) + someone.
For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-awyàang chên)
คำพูดของเขาสะกิดใจฉัน
khām-phûud khǎwng-khǎo sà-gìd jāi chǎn
Literal: Word-speak belonging to-him strike a chord with me.
His words struck a chord with me.
The noun คำพูด (khām-phûud) means ‘words,’ ‘speech,’ or ‘what someone says.’ It refers to spoken language or utterances produced by a person.
เรื่องนี้สะกิดใจคนหลายคน
rêuang née sà-gìd jāi khōn hlǎai khōn
Literal: Matter this strike a chord with people many person.
This story struck a chord with many people.
The word เรื่อง (rêuang) is a very common Thai word that can function as a noun, and it generally means ‘story,’ ‘matter,’ ‘topic,’ or ‘issue’. Its exact meaning depends on the context, but it always refers to something being talked about or happening — เรื่อง (rêuang) + noun / verb phrase (that show about something).
ทีละนิดทีละหน่อย มันเริ่มสะกิดใจเขาว่าภรรยาของเขาจะไม่กลับมาแล้ว
thēe-lá-níd-thēe-lá-hnòi, mān rêuhm sà-gìd jāi khǎo wâa phān-rá-yāa khǎwng-khǎo jà mâi glàb māa láew
Literal: Little by little, it begin to dawn on him that wife belonging to-him will not return come already.
Little by little, it dawned on him that his wife was not coming back now.
The adverbial phrase ทีละนิดทีละหน่อย (thēe-lá-níd-thēe-lá-hnòi) means ‘little by little,’ ‘gradually,’ or ‘step by step in small amounts.’ It describes an action that happens slowly and in small increments over time, rather than all at once.
ข่าวนี้สะกิดใจฉันมาก และทำให้ฉันเปลี่ยนความคิดของฉัน
khào née sà-gìd jāi chǎn mâak láe thām-hâi chǎn bplìan khwāam-khíd khǎwng-chǎn
Literal: News this strike a chord with me very much and make-for me change thinking belonging to-me.
This news struck a chord with me so much and made me change my way of thinking.
The verb รู้สึกเหมือน (rúu-sèuk hměuan) means ‘to feel like…,’ ‘to feel as if…,’ or ‘it feels like…’ It is used when someone describes a personal perception, emotion, or impression, often based on feeling rather than fact.
Homework (การบ้าน — gāan-bâan)
Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.
- Her story struck a chord with many people.
- This news struck a chord with me and made me change my perspective.
- That incident struck me so much and made me more cautious.
- This movie struck a chord with the viewers.
- I was about to pay for the shopping when it suddenly dawned on me that I’d left my wallet at home.
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