First (in order) in Thai

“First (in order)” in Thai is แรกrâek; you'll also hear ที่หนึ่งtîi nùeng (first place).

แรก râek

first (after a noun: the first day) adjective

râek falling

Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”

ที่หนึ่ง tîi nùeng

first (in a ranking), number one adjective first place

tîi falling
nùeng low

Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

How to use it

แรกrâek goes after a noun: ครั้งแรกkráng-râek, the first time; วันแรกwan râek, the first day. For rankings and other ordinal numbers, put ที่tîi before the number: ที่หนึ่งtîi nùeng, first; ที่สองtîi sǎwng, second; ที่สามtîi sǎam, third. Dates work the same way: วันที่ห้าwan tîi hâa, the fifth. "First", before anything else, is ก่อนgàwn: กินก่อนgin gàwn, eat first.

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:

tee neung
thi nueng
tee nung

More numbers in Thai

All numbers

ศูนย์ sǔun Zero
หนึ่ง nùeng One
สอง sǎwng Two
สาม sǎam Three
สี่ sìi Four
ห้า hâa Five

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones