How to say yes and no in Thai

Thai has no single word for "yes" or "no" that fits every question the way English does. Most often you answer by repeating the question's verb — plain for yes, with mai in front for no — while chai (ใช่) and mai chai (ไม่ใช่) confirm or deny a statement instead.

Why Thai doesn't have a fixed yes or no

English has one word each for agreeing and disagreeing, and it doesn't matter what the question was. Thai questions are usually built around a specific verb — are you hungry, are you going, do you understand — and the natural answer repeats that verb rather than reaching for a generic yes. It's a genuinely different way of confirming things, and it trips up a lot of learners who go looking for a direct equivalent to "yes" that simply isn't there in the same form.

If yes/no is the first oddity you've run into, the basic Thai phrases guide covers the more straightforward vocabulary — greetings, numbers, food — that's a gentler starting point.

Answering by repeating the verb

Most Thai questions end in mai (ไหม), the question particle — the same mai used to ask sabai dee mai, how are you, which is covered in more depth here. To answer yes, you repeat the verb on its own. To answer no, you put mai in front of the verb.

Question	Thai	Yes	No
Are you hungry?	หิวไหม (hiu mai)	หิว (hiu)	ไม่หิว (mai hiu)
Are you going?	ไปไหม (pai mai)	ไป (pai)	ไม่ไป (mai pai)
Do you understand?	เข้าใจไหม (khao jai mai)	เข้าใจ (khao jai)	ไม่เข้าใจ (mai khao jai)
Do you want it?	เอาไหม (ao mai)	เอา (ao)	ไม่เอา (mai ao)

Once you see the pattern, it applies to almost any mai-question you'll hear, which makes it far more useful to learn as a rule than as a list of fixed phrases.

Chai and mai chai: confirming a statement

Chai (ใช่) — "correct" or "right" — and mai chai (ไม่ใช่) — "not correct" — work differently from the verb-repeat pattern above. These confirm or deny a statement rather than answer a verb-based question. If someone says "you're American, right?" — khun pen khon amerikan chai mai (คุณเป็นคนอเมริกันใช่ไหม) — you'd answer chai if it's true, or mai chai if it isn't. Chai mai, tacked onto the end of a sentence, functions like the English tag question "right?" or "isn't it?"

A simple acknowledgment: khrap and kha alone

In conversation, khrap or kha said on their own — without attaching to a fuller sentence — commonly function as a quick "yes" or "okay," acknowledging that you heard and agree with something. If someone gives you directions or an instruction, replying with just khrap or kha is a completely normal, polite way to confirm.

Polite ways to say no or decline something

A flat mai (ไม่) can come across as blunt on its own, so Thai speakers usually soften a decline. Mai pen rai (ไม่เป็นไร) — "it's fine, no worries," discussed alongside thank you here — works well to wave off an offer without sounding rude. For declining something more directly offered to you, mai ao khrap/kha (ไม่เอาครับ/ค่ะ) — "no thanks, I don't want it" — is clear without being sharp. Pairing either with khob khun — "thank you, but no" — softens it further and is a safe default when you're not sure how direct to be.

Hearing the difference between a flat mai and a softened decline like mai pen rai matters for tone as much as vocabulary. Thai Phrasebook, an offline Thai phrasebook app with 700+ real-world phrases across 16 categories, plays these as native audio at full and slow speed, with word-by-word breakdowns and nuance notes on when each version fits.

FAQ

Is there any word that just means "yes" in Thai?

Not a single universal one. Chai works for confirming a statement is correct, and repeating the verb from a question works for verb-based questions — which combined cover almost every situation where English would just say "yes."

How do you say no in Thai?

It depends on the question. For a verb-based question, put mai in front of the verb (mai pai, not going). For confirming or denying a statement, use mai chai (not correct). For declining an offer, mai pen rai or mai ao khrap/kha are softer than a flat mai.

Is mai chai rude to say?

No, it's a neutral, factual correction — "that's not right" rather than an emotionally loaded no. It's commonly used and not considered impolite on its own.

Can I just say "chai" to answer any question?

No — chai only works for questions that are essentially asking you to confirm a statement (chai mai questions). For questions built around a specific verb, like "are you hungry" or "are you going," you repeat that verb instead.