For beginners, it is not complicated to tell time in Thai, take your time to go through this lesson with me. Those who are not beginners, I hope you find this lesson a good revision : )
Key expressions used the the role play:
1. นาฬิกาตาย /naa-lí-gaa dtaai/ The watch is broken.
นาฬิกา /naa-lí-gaa/ means watch or clock
ตาย /dtaai/ means breakdown (only used with clock/watch), die
2. เดี๋ยวมื้อนี้เค้าเลี้ยงเอง /dĭao múe níi káo líang eeng/ = I’ll buy you this meal
เดี๋ยว /dĭao/ means shortly, soon [PATTERN: เดี๋ยว /dĭao/ + do something >> you will do something shortly]
มื้อ /múe/ means meal
นี้ /níi/ means this
เค้า /káo/ is a personal pronoun for ‘I’ used with a close relationship. Click here to learn more about Thai personal pronouns.
เลี้ยง /líang/ means to give someone a treat i.e. meal, movie
เอง /eeng/ is used in the pattern : do something + เอง /eeng/. It is used to convey the meaning of doing something yourself.
3. สาย /săai/ means late for the appointment
Understand how to tell time
1. Morning time (6-11 a.m.)
6-11 a.m. = time + โมง (เช้า) moong (cháao)
2. Midday
12 p.m. = เที่ยง tîang
3. Afternoon time
1 p.m. = บ่ายโมง bàai moong*
2-3 p.m. = บ่าย + time + โมง
bàai + time + moong
4. Early Evening time
4-6 p.m. = time + โมง (เย็น) moong (yen)
5. Night time
7 – 11 p.m. = 1 – 5 ทุ่ม tûm
6. Midnight
12 p.m. = เที่ยงคืน tîang- kuen
7. It’s a new day!
1 – 5 a.m. = ตี dtii + time
Half hours
Half-past the hour is expressed as HOUR TIME + ครึ่ง krûeng (‘half’)
For the hours from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. the word เช้า “châao” is usually dropped, and for the hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the word เย็น “yen” is usually dropped
3.30 a.m. = ตีสามครึ่ง dtii săam krûeng
7.30 a.m. = เจ็ดโมงครึ่ง jèt moong krûeng
5.30 p.m. = ห้าโมงครึ่ง hâa moong krûeng
Minutes to the hour are expressed as ìik (‘further, more’) + NUMBER + naa-tii (‘minutes’) + HOUR TIME
10.45 a.m. = อีกสิบห้านาทีสิบเอ็ดโมง ìik sìp hâa naa-tii sìp èt moong
11.55 p.m. = อีกห้านาทีเที่ยง ìik hâa naa-tii tîang- kuen
Asking the time
To ask the time กี่โมงแล้ว gìi-moong láew? is used
To ask what time something happens or happened กี่โมง gìi-moong? is used.
กี่โมงแล้ว gìi-moong láew? What time is it?
รถออกกี่โมง rót òrk gìi-moong? What time does the bus leave?
I hope you find this lesson useful. : )
How do you say seconds? like 11:45:35 ?
second is “วินาที wí-naa-tii” 🙂
Sawadee krap, pom mak jak prathet philippin, and I love this lesson… Very easy to learn, sanook ma krap.
Khop khun krap. :D.
Sawatdee ka Jeremiah, thank you for visiting my website and your message. I am happy to hear that you enjyed this lesson. Hope you continue to follow my lessons in the future as well. Kop kun ka.
Hi mod!Thank you for your wonderful lesson, i’m really lovin’ it.
and i’m confused about one expression.
when you say”For the hours from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. the word เช้า “châao” is usually dropped, and for the hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the word เย็น “yen” is usually dropped ”
what should i say”6:30 am” and “6:15 pm” in thai?
waiting for your reply!
khorp khun maak khrap!
That would be very interesting for me too.
Greetings
Jürgen
awesome lesson.
thank you very much.
Great video, Thanks. In English, we call that big round thing a gong also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong
Thank you for the info and for watching my lesson.I am happy to hear that you liked it. : )
Thanks for the lessons khun Mod! I agree that your lessons are helpful, easy and fun to follow along with. The time has been a problem for me but I think I’ll spend a day on this one and see where it goes from there!! Thanks so much for all your work!
Thank you so much for explaining how to tell time in Thai. You were very helpful! I am going to be in Thailand in September and I can’t wait to tell someone the time in Thailand!
Thanks. The best explanation of Thai time telling I have heard.
ขอบคุณมากค่ะคุณจอห์น 🙂
khun mod,
khop khun krub.
khun bpen kind lady.
😉
Hi, after your sister tells you 4 AM, your response to her was written as “next time you better have to go” which doesn’t really mean anything. It looks like you were telling her she’d be better off not even returning home. Is that about right? Thanks. Your lessons with conversations like this one are very helpful.
I am sorry, a part of the subtitle was missing. Yes, I meant to say ‘next time you better off not even returning home”. Thank you for your correction. : )
Thanks again Mod for a very clear explanation of telling Thai time.
too complicated
Sawadee Khun Mod,
Very informative and easy to understand…I have books on learning thai but never understand the time telling part but with your explanation, now I khao jai jing jing liao krab..thanks
Sawatdee ka, I am happy to hear that my lesson helps. 🙂
Khop jai maak ka Kru Mod. 😀 Aside from being suay maak, you teach geng maak maak. I’ve always wondered about Thai time. Thank you sooo much for your fun and easy way of explaining this. I always click on your YouTube page, since I’m a subscriber. Chan siia jai maak jing jing praw mee bpen haa. (Was that right Kru?) Anyways, stay beautiful and happy always. Learning PasaThai with you will always be enjoyable.
Jer gan na kaa. Khop khun maak iik krang 😛
Thank you for your kind words. I am happy to hear that you found my lesson useful.
Your sentence is good, you can also say’Chan siia jai maak jing jing “tii YouTube” mee bpen haa’ it sounds more like a Thai : )
Hi, Mod, I like the way you teach in your video so I like Pa sa thai. Hope to see you more in your web. Hope to see you in person someday too, Kuo Khun Krap.
Kopkorn maak! learning a little everytime and happy to see myself improving my very basic Thai.
Pom chop paa-sa Thai!
Hi Mod, thank you very much for the lessons. I have read many Thai books and listen to many tapes about Telling Time in Thai but found them difficult to understand. Now, just by listening to your video, I could very well understood them. You are a great teacher, Mod. Keep it up and hope to learn more from you in future.
Sawatdee ka Lenny, I am happy to hear that you found my lesson useful. Hope you continue to follow my lessons in the future as well. kop kun ka:)
Hi Mod, your video is awesome,please do more lessons like this in future.
Hope your problem will solve a.s.a.p.
Hi Mod , thank you for your knew vidéo ,i saw you have a problem on you tube” phom siia jay maak maak” hope it will go better
Thank you for watching. I hope the problem will be fixed soon. kop kun ka:)
Sawatdii krap Mod , Khoun pen phét souûay thiisoùt khoong thawîip aasiaa !!!
So thats why Thai women can,t keep appoinments….. too many late nights and immitation timepieces
Thank you Mod for this role play with your funny sister =) If you can, please do more dialogue like this, it’s really useful!
Thank you for watching. I am happy to hear that you liked it. I will do more similar lessons. : )
Hi Mod!
I have just a suggestion!
Is it possible for you to put some exercises, drills on your website?
I’m looking forward to hearing from you
By the way, I love not just like, the way you are teaching.
With a permanent lovely smile!
Take car!
Best regards Mohsen
Sawatdee ka Mohsen, thank you for your suggestion. It is actually a good idea. I will find time to make that happen. Thank you for your kind compliment as well. 🙂
Thank you for this lesson Khun Mod! I was always confused about telling time in Thai but you explained it very well. I think I just need to watch the video again and study my notes and I got it!
ขอบคุณมากครับ
Thank you for watching, I am happy to hear that you found it useful. Keep practicing! : )