Three common words that mean to lose in Thai are the word หาย (hǎay), แพ้ (phǽæ), and เสีย (sǐa). Let’s learn how to use them in the correct context.
Table of contents
หาย (hǎay) – to lose something in Thai
Use หาย (hǎay) when you cannot find something or when something is missing or disappear. There are two ways to use this word and both ways give the same meaning.
Structure(1) : something + หาย (hǎay)
– thoorasàp hǎay.
– My phone is missing.
– kuncææ bâan hǎay chây-máy.
– The house keys are missing, right?
– nǎŋsɨ̌ɨ-dəən-thaaŋ hǎay.
– The passport is missing.
– bàt-khreedìt hǎay thîi-nǎy.
– Where [did you] lose your credit card?
– lûuk-chaay kháw hǎay thîi ŋaan wát.
– Her son disappeared at the temple festival.
Structure(2) : subject + ทำ (tham) + something + หาย (hǎay)
– chán tham thoorasàp hǎay.
– I lost my phone.
– khun tham kuncææ bâan hǎay chây-máy
– You lost the house keys, right?
– kháw tham nǎŋsɨ̌ɨ-dəən-thaaŋ hǎay.
– She lost her passport.
– khun tham bàt-khreedìt hǎay thîi-nǎy
– Where did you lose your credit card?
– kháw tham lûuk-chaay hǎay thîi ŋaan wát.
– She lost her son at the temple festival. (Her son was missing.)
เสีย (sǐa) – to lose something important
This word is different from the word หาย (hǎay). You use เสีย (sǐa) when you lose something important or necessary and it is not replaceable.
Structure(3) : เสีย (sǐa) + something/someone + [ไป (pay)]
– thâa khun cháa khun ca sǐa ʔookàat.
– If you are slow, you will lose an opportunity.
– raw sǐa lûuk-kháa hây ráan mày.
– We lost our customers to the new shop.
– kháw sǐa lɨ̂at pay mâak càak ʔubàttihèet.
– He has lost a lot of blood from the accident.
– kháw sǐa lûuk-sǎaw pay pii thîi-lǽæw.
– She lost her daughter last year. (Her daughter passed away.)
You also use the word เสีย (sǐa) when you stop having a particular quality, ability, feeling, etc., or gradually have less of it.
– kham phûut khɔ̌ɔŋ khun tham-hây kháw sǐa khwaam-mân-cay.
– Your word made him lose his confidence.
– kháw mây phûut khwaam-ciŋ phrɔ́ klua sǐa nâa.
– She did not tell the truth because she was afraid to lose face.
– phǒm sǐa khwaam-rúu-sɨ̀k kàp rɨ̂aŋ níi.
– I lost my feelings about this. (It hurts my feelings.)
แพ้ (phǽæ) – to lose in a game
Use แพ้ (phǽæ) when you lose a game, competition, argument, election, war, fight, etc.
Structure(4) : subject + แพ้ (phǽæ) + something/someone
– ʔaaseenɔ̂n phǽæ Niwkháatsə̂n 0 tɔ̀ɔ 1.
– Arsenal lost 0-1 to Newcastle.
– kháw phǽæ kaan-lɨ̂ak-tâŋ khráŋ níi.
– He lost the election this time.
– weelaa thalɔ́ kàp fææn phǒm phǽæ talɔ̀ɔt.
– Whenever I argue with my partner, I always lose.
– Hitler phǽæ sǒŋkhraam nay pii 1941.
– Hitler lost the war in 1941.