Describing things ทันสมัย tan-sà-mǎi
modern, up to date adjective
- tan mid
- sà low
- mǎi 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?”
Parts: ทันtan to keep up with, be in time for สมัยsà-mǎi era, period
How to use it
ทันสมัยtan-sà-mǎi, "keeping up with the era", is modern or up to date: a building, an app, a grandparent who orders dinner on LINE MAN. The opposite is เชยchoei, old-fashioned or uncool. Things that are old in a valuable way, like temples and customs, are โบราณboo-raan, ancient or traditional.
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:
- thansamai
- than sa mai
- tunsamai
More describing things in Thai
All describing things
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones