Language/Thai/Grammar/Adverbs-of-Time

Thai Grammar → Adverbs → Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time are words that indicate when an action occurred in a sentence. In this lesson, you will learn the most commonly used adverbs of time in Thai.

Adverbs of Time

Here are the most commonly used adverbs of time in Thai:

Thai	Pronunciation	English
เมื่อไหร่	meu-rai	when
วันนี้	wan-níi	today
พรุ่งนี้	phrûng-níi	tomorrow
เมื่อวาน	meu-uan	yesterday
ทุ่มนี้	thúm-níi	tonight
เช้านี้	cháo-níi	this morning
เย็นนี้	yen-níi	this evening/tonight
ตอนนี้	dtawn-níi	now
ตอนเช้า	dtawn-cháo	in the morning
ตอนบ่าย	dtawn-bàai	in the afternoon
ตอนเย็น	dtawn-yen	in the evening

Using Adverbs of Time in Thai Sentences

Adverbs of time usually come after the subject and before the verb in a sentence. Here are some examples:

• ฉันเดินทางไปเกาะภูเก็ต เมื่อไหร่คุณจะไปด้วย? (chăn dern-taang bpai gàw pûu-gèt mue-rai kun jà bpai dûay?) - I'm traveling to Phuket, when will you come with me?
• วันนี้ฉันไปเที่ยวสวนสนุกกับเพื่อน (wan-níi chăn bpai tîao sŭan să-nùk gàp pêuan) - Today I went to an amusement park with my friend.
• เมื่อวานฉันดูหนังไทย (meu-uan chăn doo năng tai) - Yesterday I watched a Thai movie.
• ทุ่มนี้ฉันจะออกไปกินข้าวกับเพื่อน (thúm-níi chăn ja òk bpai gin kâao gàp pêuan) - Tonight I'm going out to eat with my friend.

As you can see from the examples above, adverbs of time add important information to sentences and make them more specific.

Exceptions

It is important to note that in spoken Thai, adverbs of time can come at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis. For example:

เมื่อวานฉันดูหนังไทย (meu-uan chăn doo năng tai) - Yesterday I watched a Thai movie.

ฉันเมื่อวานดูหนังไทย (chăn meu-uan doo năng tai) - ***I*** watched a Thai movie yesterday.

In the second sentence, the emphasis is on "I" which comes before the adverb of time.

Summary

In this lesson, we learned about adverbs of time and the most commonly used ones in Thai. We also learned where to place adverbs of time in a sentence and how they can be used for emphasis. Keep practicing and using adverbs of time to improve your Thai language skills!

Sources

• Thai Language
• List of Thai Adverbs

Table of Contents - Thai Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Basic Greetings & Introductions

• Saying Hello
• Asking for Name and Nationality
• Introducing Family Members

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Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject and Verb
• Negative Sentences
• Questions
• Adjectives

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Numbers and Counting

• Numbers 1-10
• Numbers 11-100
• Ordinal Numbers
• Telephone Numbers

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Present Tense Verbs

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Verb 'To Be'

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Thai Culture and Customs

• Thai Greetings
• Thai Food and Dining Etiquette
• Thai Festivals

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Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Time Expressions
• Days of the Week and Months

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Adverbs

• Adverbs of Time
• Adverbs of Frequency
• Adverbs of Manner
• Comparative and Superlative Adverbs

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Colors

• Basic Colors
• Describing Colors
• Fruit and Vegetables

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Pronouns

• Subject Pronouns
• Object Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

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Thai Geography and Places

• Thai Provinces and Capitals
• Tourist Attractions in Thailand

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Animals

• Common Animals
• Pet Animals
• Wild Animals

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Prepositions

• Basic Prepositions
• Prepositions of Movement

Related Lessons

• Negation
• Negative Sentences
• Conditional Mood
• Gender
• Adjectives
• Subject Pronouns
• Prepositions of Movement
• Adverbs of Manner
• Give your Opinion
• Subject and Verb