Small words แทน taen
instead (of), in place of; on behalf of preposition
- taen mid
- Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
How to use it
แทนtaen after a verb is "instead, in someone's place": ไปแทนbpai taen, go instead. Before a noun it's "instead of": ชาแทนกาแฟchaa taen gaa-fae, tea instead of coffee. It's also "on behalf of": ขอบคุณแทนแม่kàwp-kun taen mâe, thank you on my mum's behalf.
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:
- tan
- thaen
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