Small wordsMostly in Thai
“Mostly” in Thai is ส่วนใหญ่sùan-yài; you'll also hear ส่วนมากsùan-mâak (same meaning).
mostly; most (of) adverb
- sùan low
- yài low
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
mostly; the majority adverb same meaning
- sùan low
- mâak falling
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
How to use it
ส่วนใหญ่sùan-yài, "the big part", is "most" after a noun, คนส่วนใหญ่kon sùan-yài, most people, and "mostly, usually" at the start of a sentence. ส่วนมากsùan-mâak, "the large part", means the same. The few are ส่วนน้อยsùan-náwy, "the small part". "The most", as in the best or the biggest, is a different word: ที่สุดtîi-sùt.
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:
- soon yai
- suan mak
- suanmak
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