TimeImmediately in Thai
“Immediately” in Thai is ทันทีtan-tii; you'll also hear เดี๋ยวนี้dǐaw-níi (right now!).
immediately, at once adverb
- tan mid
- tii mid
- Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
right now, this minute; nowadays adverb
- dǐaw rising
- níi high
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
How to use it
ทันทีtan-tii is "at once", without any delay. เดี๋ยวนี้dǐaw-níi, "this very moment", is more urgent and often a command, the way parents call their children; it also means "nowadays". Careful: เดี๋ยวdǐaw on its own means "in a moment", so เดี๋ยวไปdǐaw bpai is "I'll go in a minute".
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:
- thanthi
- tan tee
- than ti
- diao nee
More time in Thai
All time
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones