ดำ
damMeanings
1AdjectiveA1
black; very dark (color)
having the color black or being very dark in color
Examples
3 more examplesShow less
That cat is jet black.
He wore a black shirt to the concert yesterday.
พรุ่งนี้prûng-níiเราraoจะjàทาสีtaa-sǐiผนังpà-nǎngเป็นbpenสีดำsǐi-damเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiห้องhɔ̂ngมืดmʉ̂ʉtพอpɔɔสำหรับsǎm-ràpดูหนังduu-nǎng
Tomorrow we will paint the wall black so the room is dark enough for watching movies.
2VerbA2
[to] be/turn black
to be black or to become black/darker
Examples
ท้องฟ้าtɔ́ɔng-fáaท้องฟ้าtɔ́ɔng-fáasky; heavensดำdamดำdam1black; very dark (color)2[to] be/turn black3dark-skinned; tan (can be sensitive)4[to] dive; go underwaterตอนdtɔɔnตอนdtɔɔn1section; part2episode; chapter3when; at the time (of)4time segment; periodฝนfǒnฝนfǒn1rain2[to] file; grind; honeจะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)ตกdtòkตกdtòk1[to] fall; drop2(rain/snow) fall3[to] fail (an exam/test)4[to] drop; decline; decrease5[to] cost; come to6[to] fall to; devolve upon; be allotted to7[to] be left out; miss one’s turn
The sky turns black when it’s about to rain.
3 more examplesShow less
The pot burned until the bottom became black.
These shoes have been used for so long that the color has become darker.
กระทะเหล็กgrà-tá lèkถ้าtâaใช้cháiน้ำมันnáam manเคลือบklêuuapบ่อยๆbòi bòiจะjàค่อยๆkôi kôiดำdamและláeลื่นlêunขึ้นkêunตามธรรมชาติdtaam tam-má-châat
If you season a cast-iron pan regularly, it will gradually become blacker and more nonstick naturally.
3AdjectiveB1
dark-skinned; tan (can be sensitive)
having a dark skin tone or suntanned skin; note: can be sensitive, impolite, or offensive depending on context
Examples
ช่วงนี้chûuang-níiช่วงนี้chûuang-níi1these days; lately; currently2this period (of time); the current periodฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ออกɔ̀ɔkออกɔ̀ɔk1[to] go out; exit; leave2out; outward3[in sports] out of bounds4[to] come out; appear; be issued5[to] produce; emit; put out6[to] pay; spend; disburse7[to] quit; resign8[to] issue; publish9successfully; out (indicating comprehension or discovery)แดดdɛ̀ɛtแดดdɛ̀ɛtsunlight; sunshineบ่อยbɔ̀iบ่อยbɔ̀ioften; frequentlyเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedดูduuดูduu1[to] look; watch; see2[to] examine; check; inspect3[to] seem; appear4try; have a go5[to] divine; tell fortuneผิวpǐuผิวpǐu1skin2surface3complexion; skin toneดำdamดำdam1black; very dark (color)2[to] be/turn black3dark-skinned; tan (can be sensitive)4[to] dive; go underwaterขึ้นkʉ̂nขึ้นkʉ̂n1[to] go up; rise; ascend2[to] increase3[to] board; get on4result complement: upward/better5postverbal particle: onset or occurrence6[to] sprout; grow; appear7northward/up-countryนิดหน่อยnít-nɔ̀iนิดหน่อยnít-nɔ̀i1a little; a bit2a small amount
Lately I’ve been out in the sun a lot, so my skin looks a bit darker.
3 more examplesShow less
After coming back from the beach, everyone looks tanned because of the strong sun.
เขาkǎoบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaตัวเองdtuua-eengดำdamง่ายngâaiจึงjʉngทาtaaครีมกันแดดkriim-gan-dɛ̀ɛtตลอดเวลาdtà-lɔ̀ɔt-wee-laa
He says he tans easily, so he always applies sunscreen.
นักกีฬาnák-gii-laaกลางแจ้งglaang-jɛ̂ɛngหลายคนlǎai-konผิวpǐuดำคล้ำdam-klámจากjàakการฝึกซ้อมgaan-fʉ̀k-sɔ́ɔmกลางแดดglaang-dɛ̀ɛtเป็นประจำbpen-bprà-jam
Many outdoor athletes have dark, tanned skin from regularly training in the sun.
4VerbC1
[to] dive; go underwater
To go beneath the surface of water, as in ดำน้ำดำน้ำdam-náam1[to] wing it; bluff one's way through (colloq.)2diving (underwater swimming)3[to] dive; [to] go underwater or ดำผุดดำว่ายดำผุดดำว่ายdam-pùt-dam-wâai[to] bob up and down in water; not restricted to literary or poetic usage.
Examples
เด็กๆdèk dèkเด็กๆdèk dèk1children; kids2childish; immature3easy; trivial (colloquial)กระโดดgrà-dòhtกระโดดgrà-dòht1[to] jump; leap2[to] rise sharply (fig.)ลงlongลงlong1[to] go down; descend2[to] get off (vehicle)3down; downstream4[to] put; apply; record5[to] decrease; go down6[to] land; alightคลองklongคลองklong1canal2classifier: canals/ditches3natural waterway; stream; creekแล้วláeoแล้วláeo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)ดำผุดดำว่ายdam pùt dam wâaiดำผุดดำว่ายdam pùt dam wâai[to] bob up and down in waterอย่างสนุกสนานyàang sà-nùk-sà-năanอย่างสนุกสนานyàang sà-nùk-sà-năanjoyfully; cheerfullyจนjonจนjon1poor2until; up to3so ... that; to the point ofลืมleuumลืมleuum1[to] forget2[to] leave behind (by forgetting)3forget to; omit unintentionallyเวลาway-laaเวลาway-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; doses
The children jumped into the canal and dove up and down playfully until they lost track of time.
3 more examplesShow less
นักประดาน้ำnák-bprà-daa-náamดำdamลึกlʉ́kลงไปlong-bpaiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaสำรวจsǎm-rùuatเรือโบราณrʉʉa-boo-raanที่tîiจมjomอยู่ใต้yùu-dtâaiท้องทะเลtɔ́ɔng-tá-lee
The diver submerged deeply to explore the ancient ship lying on the seabed.
ในnaiยามพลบค่ำyaam-plóp-kâmเขาkǎoดำdamสู่sùuสายน้ำsǎai-náamเงียบงันngîiap-nganราวกับraao-gàpหายไปhǎai-bpaiกับgàpเงาngaoแห่งhɛ̀ngสายนทีsǎai-ná-tii
At dusk, he dove into the silent waters, as if vanishing into the river's shadow.
เสียงระฆังsĭang rá-kangวัดwátแว่วมาwâew maaไกลๆglai glaiก่อนที่gòn têeเธอterจะjàสูดsòotลมหายใจlom hăai-jaiลึกléukแล้วláeoดำdamลงlongสระsàเหมือนmĕuuanฝากfàakเรื่องราวrêuuang raaoทั้งวันtáng wanไว้wáiใต้dtâiผิวน้ำpĭu náam
The distant temple bell echoed before she took a deep breath and submerged into the pool, as if leaving the day's stories beneath the surface.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is ดำ said ดัม?
dam
- Vowel spellingThe vowel ำ already ends in an m sound, so it is respelled ัม.
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableThe vowel ำ hides a final -ม, so it is live.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Mid tone
dam
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Mid class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Mid
Tone chart
Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.
| Mid class | High class | Low class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mark + live | Mid | Rising | Mid |
| No mark + dead short | Low | Low | High |
| No mark + dead long | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai ek | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai tho | Falling | Falling | High |
| Mai tri | High | — | — |
| Mai chattawa | Rising | — | — |