Describing thingsOrdinary in Thai
“Ordinary” in Thai is ธรรมดาtam-má-daa; you'll also hear ปกติbpòk-gà-dtì (normal, usual).
ordinary, normal adjective
- tam mid
- má high
- daa mid
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
ธรรมดาหรือพิเศษtam-má-daa rǔue pí-sèet = regular or large (at a noodle stall).
usually, normally; normal adverb normal, usual
- bpòk low
- gà low
- dtì low
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
As 'usually' it goes at the start. On its own it means 'normal': ไม่ปกติmâi bpòk-gà-dtì is 'not normal, strange'.
ปกติbpòk-gà-dtì is taught in Unit 14 · Lesson 2: Telling the time of the free course.
Practise it freeHow to use it
ธรรมดาtam-má-daa is ordinary or plain: an ordinary person, a plain T-shirt, and at noodle stalls the regular size, as opposed to พิเศษpí-sèet, large. Said with a shrug, ก็ธรรมดาgâw tam-má-daa means "that's life". ปกติbpòk-gà-dtì is normal, the usual state of things: เป็นปกติbpen bpòk-gà-dtì, it's normal.
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:
- thammada
- tam ma da
- tammada
- pokati
More describing things in Thai
All describing things
Learn this word in Unit 14, free
Unit 14 · A day in my life · Telling the time. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.
Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones