Tenses - Thai Grammar

In Thai grammar, tenses play an important role in expressing the time of an action or event. There are three main tenses in the Thai language: past, present, and future.

In the past tense, the verb is unchanged and does not require any additional marker. For example, “I ate” is translated as “ผมกิน” (pom gin).

In the present tense, the verb is usually the same as in the past tense, but it can also be preceded by the word “กำลัง” (gamlang) to indicate an ongoing action. For example, “I am eating” can be translated as “ผมกำลังกิน” (pom gamlang gin).

In the future tense, the word “จะ” (ja) is used before the verb. For example, “I will eat” is translated as “ผมจะกิน” (pom ja gin).

It is also worth noting that Thai grammar does not have separate verb forms for different subjects or persons. The same verb forms are used regardless of whether the subject is first, second, or third person.

Mastering the tenses in Thai grammar will greatly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in the Thai language.