Thai grammar · with audio
Thai tenses: past, present and future without changing the verb
Verbs never change: time words and a handful of little markers do the work of tenses.
Quick answer
Thai has no tenses: a verb like ไปbpai (go) is the same for go, went and will go. Time words such as เมื่อวานmûea-waan (yesterday) and พรุ่งนี้prûng-níi (tomorrow) show when, and small markers around the verb add the rest: จะjà (will), กำลังgam-lang (be doing right now), แล้วláew (already), เคยkoei (have ever) and ยังไม่yang mâi (not yet). Often the context alone is enough.
One verb for every time
A Thai verb has one form. ไปตลาดbpai dtà-làat can mean I go to the market, I went or I'm going: whoever does it, and whenever. If it isn't clear from the conversation, add a time word, at the start or the end of the sentence. That's usually all you need.
- เมื่อวาน mûea-waanไป bpaiตลาด dtà-làat
Yesterday I went to the market.
- พรุ่งนี้ prûng-níiจะ jàไป bpaiตลาด dtà-làat
Tomorrow I'm going to the market.
Six markers instead of tenses
These little words do what tenses do in English. Five go before the verb; แล้วláew goes after it, usually at the end of the sentence.
| Marker | Where | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| จะjà | before the verb | will, going to | จะไปjà bpai will go |
| กำลังgam-lang | before the verb | be doing right now | กำลังกินgam-lang gin is eating |
| แล้วláew | after the verb | already, done; now | กินแล้วgin láew have eaten |
| เคยkoei | before the verb | have ever, used to | เคยไปkoei bpai have been |
| ยังไม่yang mâi | before the verb | not yet | ยังไม่กินyang mâi gin haven't eaten yet |
| เพิ่งpôeng | before the verb | just (a moment ago) | เพิ่งมาpôeng maa just arrived |
The future: จะjà
จะjà before a verb is will or going to, for plans, promises and predictions. With a time word it's often left out: พรุ่งนี้ไปprûng-níi bpai already means I'll go tomorrow. กำลังจะgam-lang jà is about to.
- ฝน fǒnจะ jàตก dtòk
It's going to rain.
- ผม pǒmจะ jàไป bpaiเชียงใหม่ chiang-màiครับ kráp
I'm going to Chiang Mai.
Men ผมจะไปเชียงใหม่ครับ Women ฉันจะไปเชียงใหม่ค่ะ
Right now: กำลังgam-lang … อยู่yùu
For something happening at this moment, put กำลังgam-lang before the verb, and often อยู่yùu at the end: กำลังกินข้าวอยู่gam-lang gin kâao yùu, I'm eating right now. Either one alone works too. For habits, you don't need anything: ทำงานทุกวันtam-ngaan túk wan is I work every day.
- กำลัง gam-langทำอาหาร tam aa-hǎanอยู่ yùu
I'm cooking right now.
- ฝน fǒnกำลัง gam-langตก dtòk
It's raining.
Done or not yet: แล้วláew, ยังyang, หรือยังrǔue-yang
แล้วláew after a verb says it's done: กินแล้วgin láew, I've eaten. It also marks a change, something that is now true: ฝนตกแล้วfǒn dtòk láew, it's started to rain.
To ask if something has happened yet, end the question with หรือยังrǔue-yang. Answer yes with the verb and แล้วláew, or not yet with ยังyang, in full ยังไม่ได้กินyang mâi dâi gin. เพิ่งpôeng before the verb is just: เพิ่งตื่นpôeng dtùuen, I've just woken up.
- กิน ginแล้ว láew
I've already eaten.
- ยัง yangไม่ mâiได้ dâiกิน gin
I haven't eaten yet.
- ฝน fǒnตก dtòkแล้ว láew
It's started raining.
- เพิ่ง pôengตื่น dtùuen
I've just woken up.
Experience: เคยkoei
เคยkoei before a verb means you've done it at some time in your life: เคยไปภูเก็ตไหมkoei bpai puu-gèt mǎi, have you ever been to Phuket? Answer with เคยkoei (I have) or ไม่เคยmâi koei (never). It also means used to: เคยอยู่กรุงเทพkoei yùu grung-têep, I used to live in Bangkok.
- เคย koeiไป bpaiภูเก็ต puu-gètไหม mǎi
Have you ever been to Phuket?
- เคย koeiอยู่ yùuกรุงเทพ grung-têep
I used to live in Bangkok.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, and what Thais say instead.
กินแล้วไหมgin láew mǎi
กิน ginข้าว kâaoหรือยัง rǔue-yangHave you eaten yet?
Ask whether something has happened with หรือยังrǔue-yang (or not yet?), not ไหมmǎi.
ไม่กินแล้วmâi gin láew (for I haven't eaten yet)
ยัง yangไม่ mâiได้ dâiกิน ginI haven't eaten yet.
ไม่…แล้วmâi … láew means not any more (I don't want any more). Not yet is ยังไม่yang mâi.
เคยไปตลาดเมื่อวานkoei bpai dtà-làat mûea-waan
เมื่อวาน mûea-waanไป bpaiตลาด dtà-làatYesterday I went to the market.
เคยkoei is for experience (ever, used to), not for one time in the past. The time word is enough.
More of it in the course
Other units that build on this pattern.
The words in the dictionary
Every word on this page has its own entry, with more examples and audio.
- แล้ว láew Already
- ยัง yang Still
- ไม่แล้ว mâi láew Not anymore
Tenses: FAQ
Does Thai have tenses?
No. Thai verbs never change. Time words like เมื่อวานmûea-waan (yesterday) and markers like จะjà (will), กำลังgam-lang (now), แล้วláew (already) and เคยkoei (ever) show when something happens.
How do you talk about the past in Thai?
Use the plain verb with a time word: เมื่อวานไปตลาดmûea-waan bpai dtà-làat (yesterday I went to the market). Add แล้วláew for something finished: ทำแล้วtam láew (I've done it).
What does แล้ว mean in Thai?
After a verb, already or done: กินแล้วgin láew. It also marks a change: ฝนตกแล้วfǒn dtòk láew, it's started raining. Between two actions it means and then.
What does จะ mean in Thai?
จะjà is will or going to, before the verb: จะไปjà bpai (I'll go). Thais drop it when a time word already says it's the future.
How do you say 'never' in Thai?
ไม่เคยmâi koei: ไม่เคยไปmâi koei bpai, I've never been there. On its own, ไม่เคยmâi koei answers have you ever…? with never.
Keep going
Grammar Thai sentence structure Subject, verb, object, like English: but describing words come after the noun, and verbs never change. 
Grammar Thai negation Not, isn't, didn't, can't, never and don't: one little word and the phrases built on it. 
Grammar Thai question words What, where, who, when, why and how: put the question word where the answer goes. - Reference Telling time in Thai The Thai six-hour clock, explained with audio.