Small wordsAlways in Thai
“Always” in Thai is เสมอsà-mǒe; you'll also hear ตลอดdtà-làwt (all the time).
always adverb
- sà low
- mǒe rising
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
all the time, the whole time; throughout adverb
- dtà low
- làwt low
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
How to use it
เสมอsà-mǒe is the dictionary "always". In conversation Thais more often say ตลอดdtà-làwt, "the whole time", or "every time": ทุกครั้งtúk kráng, or casually ทุกทีtúk tii. On signs, เปิดตลอดยี่สิบสี่ชั่วโมงbpòet dtà-làwt yîi-sìp sìi chûa-moong means open 24 hours.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- sa mur
- samer
- talot
- ta lot
More small words in Thai
All small words
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones