Progressive - Thai Grammar

The Progressive tense is an important aspect of Thai grammar that is used to indicate ongoing actions or activities in the present. In Thai, the Progressive is formed by using the auxiliary verb “กำลัง” (gamlang) before the main verb.

For example, to say “I am going to the market”, you would say “ผมกำลังไปตลาด” (phom gamlang pai talad). The word “กำลัง” (gamlang) indicates that the action of going to the market is currently happening.

The Progressive tense can also be used to express future actions. For instance, to say “I am going to eat dinner tonight”, you would say “ผมกำลังกินข้าวเย็นนี้” (phom gamlang kin khao yern nee). The word “กำลัง” (gamlang) implies that the action of eating dinner will happen later in the day.

It is important to note that the Progressive tense is not used as frequently in Thai as it is in English. Thai speakers tend to prefer using the simple present tense to describe ongoing actions. However, it is still useful to know the Progressive tense in order to fully understand and communicate in Thai.