ตำซั่ว
dtam-sûaMeanings
1NounB1
som tam sua (papaya salad with noodles, pla ra)
A Northeastern (Isan/Lao-style) papaya salad variant made with fermented fish sauce (pla ra) and rice vermicelli (khanom chin), often including tomatoes, yardlong beans, and sometimes field crab.
Examples
มื้อกลางวันmʉ́ʉ-glaang-wanมื้อกลางวันmʉ́ʉ-glaang-wanlunch; midday mealนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)อยากyàakอยากyàak1[to] want; desire2to crave; to long forกินginกินgin1[to] eat2[to] drink (colloquial/with some nouns)3[to] take medicine (colloquial)4[to] consume; use up5[to] corrode; erode; eat into6[to] take (a bribe); pocketตำซั่วdtam-sûaตำซั่วdtam-sûa1som tam sua (papaya salad with noodles, pla ra)2[to] pound-mix papaya salad with noodles (colloq.)กับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)ไก่ย่างgài-yâangไก่ย่างgài-yâanggrilled/barbecued chicken (Thai dish)
For lunch today, I want to eat tam sua with grilled chicken.
3 more examplesShow less
ตำซั่วdtam-sûaจานjaanนี้níiใส่sàiทั้งtángขนมจีนkà-nǒm-jiinและlɛ́ปูนาbpuu-naaดองdɔɔngรสชาติrót-châatจัดจ้านjàt-jâanถึงใจtʉ̌ng-jaiมากmâak
This plate of tam sua has both rice vermicelli and pickled field crabs; the flavor is intensely delicious.
เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanฉันchǎnชอบchɔ̂ɔpกินginตำซั่วdtam-sûaมากmâakเวลาwee-laaไปbpaiร้านส้มตำráan-sôm-dtamทีไรtii-raiต้องdtɔ̂ngสั่งsàngทุกครั้งtúk-kráng
My friend really loves eating tam sua; whenever we go to a som tam restaurant, she has to order it every time.
แม้ว่าmɛ́ɛ-wâaตำซั่วdtam-sûaจะเป็นjà-bpenอาหารอีสานaa-hǎan-ii-sǎanที่tîiได้รับความนิยมdâi-ráp-kwaam-ní-yomแพร่หลายprɛ̂ɛ-lǎaiแต่dtɛ̀ɛรสชาติrót-châatของkɔ̌ɔngปลาร้าbplaa-ráaที่tîiใช้cháiก็gɔ̂ทำให้tam-hâiตำซั่วdtam-sûaแต่ละdtɛ̀ɛ-láพื้นที่pʉ́ʉn-tîiมีเอกลักษณ์mii-èek-gà-lákแตกต่างกันไปdtɛ̀ɛk-dtàang-gan-bpai
Although tam sua is a widely popular Isan dish, the flavor of the fermented fish sauce used gives the tam sua from each region its own unique character.
2VerbB2
[to] pound-mix papaya salad with noodles (colloq.)
Colloquial verb use meaning to make tam sua: to pound and mix papaya salad with fermented fish and rice noodles.
Examples
เย็นนี้yen-níiเย็นนี้yen-níi1this evening2this evening's (as a modifier)แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseจะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)ตำซั่วdtam-sûaตำซั่วdtam-sûa1som tam sua (papaya salad with noodles, pla ra)2[to] pound-mix papaya salad with noodles (colloq.)ให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3to; for [sb] (recipient)4[to] have [sb] do; cause to5for (benefit of)6so that; in order to7until; to the point that (result)กินginกินgin1[to] eat2[to] drink (colloquial/with some nouns)3[to] take medicine (colloquial)4[to] consume; use up5[to] corrode; erode; eat into6[to] take (a bribe); pocketเธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herช่วยchûuaiช่วยchûuai1[to] help; assist [sb/sth]2please (request marker)3[to] save; rescue [sb]ไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already past5too; excessivelyซื้อsʉ́ʉซื้อsʉ́ʉ1[to] buy; purchase2[to] bribe; buy offขนมจีนkà-nǒm-jiinขนมจีนkà-nǒm-jiinThai fermented rice noodles; dishes with these noodlesที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerตลาดdtà-làatตลาดdtà-làat1market; marketplace2market (economic demand/sector)3popular; mainstream (colloq.)ให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3to; for [sb] (recipient)4[to] have [sb] do; cause to5for (benefit of)6so that; in order to7until; to the point that (result)หน่อยnɔ̀iหน่อยnɔ̀i1a little; a bit2polite softener (request)
This evening, Mom is going to make tam sua; could you please go buy some rice vermicelli from the market for me?
3 more examplesShow less
เธอtəəช่วยchûuaiตำซั่วเผ็ดdtam-sûa-pètน้อยnɔ́ɔiไม่ใส่ผงชูรสmâi-sài-pǒng-chuu-rótให้hâiจานjaanหนึ่งnʉ̀ngได้ไหมdâai-mǎi
Could you please make me a plate of tam sua, not too spicy and with no MSG?
เขาkăoตำซั่วdtam sûaได้dâiอร่อยà-ròiมากmâakจนjonเพื่อนๆpêuuan pêuuanติดใจdtìt jaiถึงกับtĕung gàpต้องdtôngขอให้kŏr hâiเปิดbpèrtร้านráanขายkăaiเลยทีเดียวloei tee-diiao
He makes tam sua so deliciously that his friends are hooked, to the point of asking him to open a shop.
พอpɔɔเห็นhěnมะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔกับgàpขนมจีนkà-nǒm-jiinในnaiครัวkruuaก็gɔ̂นึกnʉ́kอยากyàakกินginส้มตำsôm-dtamขึ้นมาkʉ̂n-maaทันทีtan-tiiเลยləəiตัดสินใจdtàt-sǐn-jaiลุกขึ้นlúk-kʉ̂nไปbpaiตำซั่วdtam-sûaกินginเองeeng
As soon as I saw the papaya and rice vermicelli in the kitchen, I instantly craved papaya salad, so I decided to get up and make tam sua myself.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is ตำซั่ว said ตัม-ซั่ว?
dtam-sûa
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
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
dtam
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 | — | — |