In this month’s article, I’d like to talk about this one specific word that is commonly used and meaningful: นิสัย (nísǎy)– habits in Thai.
The word นิสัย (nísǎy) appears in my latest podcast episode called ‘นิสัยการกิน (nísǎy kaan-kin)– Eating Habits‘.
Note: Just in case you have a question, ‘What is การ (kaan) doing in that title?’, here is a brief explanation.
การ (kaan) is a prefix mainly used before a verb to turn it into a noun. Most of the time, it is a gerund noun or an -ing noun.
For example:
กิน (kin) – to eat (verb)
การกิน (kaan-kin) – eating (a gerund noun)
อาบน้ำ (ʔàap náam) – to take a shower (verb)
การอาบน้ำ (kaan ʔàap náam) – taking a shower (a gerund noun)
Understanding the different meanings of นิสัย (nísǎy) can help you express ideas about personality, behavior, and habits more naturally in Thai. Let’s explore the various meanings of it with example sentences to help you understand its usage.
Table of Contents
Behavior patterns, Habits in Thai
นิสัย (nísǎy) refers to habits or regular patterns of behavior– either good or bad.
Structure 1: มี นิสัย ชอบ (mii nísǎy chɔ̂ɔp) + verb = have a habit of doing something
Example 1,
เขา มีนิสัยชอบ เล่นโทรศัพท์ก่อนนอน
(kháw mii nísǎy chɔ̂ɔp lên thoorasàp kɔ̀ɔn nɔɔn.)
He/she has a habit of playing on the phone before sleeping.
Example 2,
ฉัน มีนิสัยชอบ กินแล้วนอน
(chán mii nísǎy chɔ̂ɔp kin lǽæw nɔɔn.)
I have a habit of eating and then going to sleep.
Structure 2: verb + เป็น นิสัย (pen nísǎy) = doing something as a habit
Example 1,
เขาตื่นเช้า เป็นนิสัย
(kháw tɨ̀ɨn cháaw pen nísǎy.)
He/she wakes up early as a habit.
Example 2,
เขาโกหก เป็นนิสัย
(kháw koo-hòk pen nísǎy.)
He/she lies as a habit.
When used in this sense, นิสัย (nísǎy) often appears in the structures above. Now, let’s look at another common meaning of the word.
Personality, Character traits
In addition to describing repeated actions, นิสัย (nísǎy) can also refer to a person’s innate nature or character.
It reflects their general tendencies regarding feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. This concept is more about a person’s fundamental nature rather than their actions alone.
The most common expression Thais use the word นิสัย (nísǎy) in this sense are:
เขานิสัยดี / เขาเป็นคนนิสัยดี
(kháw nísǎy dii / kháw pen khon nísǎy dii.)
He/she is a person with a good nature/personality.
เขานิสัยไม่ดี / เขาเป็นคนนิสัยไม่ดี
(kháw nísǎy mây dii / kháw pen khon nísǎy mây dii.)
He/she is a person with a bad nature/personality.
It is also used in combination with other adjectives to describe someone’s unique nature.
For example,
เขาเป็นคนนิสัยอ่อนโยน
(kháw pen khon nísǎy ʔɔ̀ɔn-yoon.)
He has a gentle personality.
เด็กคนนี้มีนิสัยขี้อาย
(dèk khon níi mii nísǎy khîi-ʔaay.)
This kid has a shy nature.
ทำไมเขาเป็นคนนิสัยก้าวร้าวอย่างนี้
(thammay kháw pen khon nísǎy kâaw-ráaw yàaŋ níi.)
Why does he have such an aggressive personality?
Real-life use of the word นิสัย (nísǎy)
I’m about to show you how Thai people casually use this word in conversation. It’ll help you see it in context and understand how it fits in with real-life situations!
Situation 1: After seeing her husband’s socks under the dining table again today, she said,
เมื่อไหร่จะเลิกนิสัยนี้สักที!
(mɨ̂arày ca lə̂ək nísǎy níi sák thii!)
When will you stop this habit?!
Situation 2: Two friends are eating their own bowls of ice cream, but one of them steals a cherry from the other and eats it. The one who lost her cherry said, นิสัย! (nísǎy!)– How rude!
Note: Using the word นิสัย (nísǎy) in such a context could be harsh or funny depending on the mood and tone of the speakers.
Situation 3: A group of friends saw someone throwing trash on the street. One friend criticized the person by saying, นิสัยเสีย! (nísǎy sǐa!)– What a bad habit!
Conclusion
As you can see, the specific meaning of นิสัย is heavily reliant on context. Please pay attention to the surrounding words, especially the verbs and adjectives used with it. If it’s paired with actions, it’s likely a habit. If it’s with adjectives describing personality, it’s a nature.
The word นิสัย (nísǎy) is essential for any Thai language learner. It bridges the ideas of personality, habit, and moral character. Whether you’re talking about someone’s cheerful nature, your habit of waking up late, or deeper traits, นิสัย (nísǎy) is the word you need.