Describing things ซุ่มซ่าม sûm-sâam
clumsy adjective
- sûm falling
- sâam falling
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
How to use it
ซุ่มซ่ามsûm-sâam is the clumsiness of someone who knocks over glasses, trips on steps and drops their phone in the pool. Both syllables have a falling tone. It's mild and self-mocking, so ซุ่มซ่ามเองsûm-sâam eeng, "my clumsiness", is a graceful way to apologise for a spilled drink.
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:
- sum sam
- soom saam
- sumsam
- sum-sam
More describing things in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones