ยาม
yaamMeanings
1NounA2
guard; watchman
A person whose job is to guard a place; a security guard.
Examples
หน้าnâaหน้าnâa1face2front; frontage3page4next; upcoming5in front; at the front6season; time of yearตึกdtʉ̀kตึกdtʉ̀kbuilding (of masonry or concrete)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoนายยามnaai-yaamนายยามnaai-yaamsecurity guard; watchmanคอยkɔɔiคอยkɔɔi1[to] wait (for [sb]/[sth])2keep (doing); regularly (do)3[to] be on standby; be readyเฝ้าfâoเฝ้าfâo1[to] watch over; guard; keep; monitor2[to] attend; sit by; keep vigil3keep (doing); continually4[to] await; watch forประตูbprà-dtuuประตูbprà-dtuu1door; gate; portal2goal (structure or score)3classifier: doors; gates; goals
There is a security guard at the building entrance.
3 more examplesShow less
Last night the security guard checked around the dorm every hour.
If you forget your card, you have to inform the security guard before entering the building.
ยามyaamที่tîiศูนย์การค้าsǔun-gaan-káaคอยkɔɔiช่วยchûuaiจัดระเบียบjàt-rá-bìiapรถrótและlɛ́ดูแลความปลอดภัยduu-lɛɛ-kwaam-bplɔ̀ɔt-paiของkɔ̌ɔngลูกค้าlûuk-káa
The security guards at the mall help organize the cars and look after customer safety.
2NounB1
time; period; at the time of (formal/lit.)
A time or period; also used as a preposition-like form meaning at the time of (formal or literary).
Examples
ยามyaamยามyaam1guard; watchman2time; period; at the time of (formal/lit.)3watch duty; guard shift4quarter of the night (traditional)ฝนตกfǒn-dtòkฝนตกfǒn-dtòkit is raining; [to] rainรถติดrót-dtìtรถติดrót-dtìt1traffic jam; congestion2[to] have heavy traffic; be congestedมากกว่าmâak-gwàaมากกว่าmâak-gwàa1more; to a greater degree2more than; over (with numbers/amounts)3[to] exceed; be greater thanปกติbpòk-gà-dtìปกติbpòk-gà-dtì1normal; usual; ordinary2normally; usually3normal state; norm
During rainy times, traffic is heavier than usual.
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At the time when you are very tired, take a rest before continuing.
ยามyaamเกิดgə̀ətเหตุฉุกเฉินhèet-chùk-chə̌ənกรุณาgà-rú-naaทำตามtam-dtaamคำแนะนำkam-nɛ́-namของkɔ̌ɔngเจ้าหน้าที่jâao-nâa-tîi
In the event of an emergency, please follow the staff’s instructions.
ยามyaamสังคมsǎng-komเผชิญวิกฤตpà-chəən-wí-grìtความร่วมมือkwaam-rûuam-mʉʉของkɔ̌ɔngทุกtúkฝ่ายfàaiย่อมyɔ̂mสำคัญsǎm-kanยิ่งyîng
At times when society faces a crisis, cooperation from all sides is of utmost importance.
3NounB1
watch duty; guard shift
A duty period for guarding or keeping watch.
Examples
เมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉnเมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉn1last night (the night before today)2last nightผมpǒmผมpǒm1I; me (male speaker, polite)2hair (on the head)อยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainเวรยามween-yaamเวรยามween-yaamguard duty; watchรอบดึกrɔ̂ɔp-dʉ̀kรอบดึกrɔ̂ɔp-dʉ̀k1late-night slot; late-night showing; night shift2in the late-night slot; on the night shiftจนถึงjon-tʉ̌ngจนถึงjon-tʉ̌ng1until; up to (time/point)2as far as; all the way to (place/extent)ตีสี่dtii-sìiตีสี่dtii-sìi1four o’clock in the morning; 4 a.m.2at 4 a.m.
Last night I was on guard duty during the late shift until 4 a.m.
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ช่วงchûuangยามyaamของเราkɔ̌ɔng-raoจะjàเปลี่ยนbplìianทุกtúkสี่sìiชั่วโมงchûua-moongเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiทุกคนtúk-konได้dâaiพักpák
Our guard shifts change every four hours so everyone gets rest.
ก่อนgɔ̀ɔnเริ่มrə̂əmยามyaamต้องdtɔ̂ngตรวจอุปกรณ์dtrùuat-ù-bpà-gɔɔnสื่อสารsʉ̀ʉ-sǎanและlɛ́ลงชื่อlong-chʉ̂ʉรับrápเวรweenให้เรียบร้อยhâi-rîiap-rɔ́ɔi
Before starting a watch, you must check the communication equipment and sign in to take the duty.
กัปตันgàp-dtanจัดjàtตารางdtaa-raangยามyaamบนbonเรือrʉʉaอย่างเข้มงวดyàang-kêm-ngûuatเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiมีmiiคนkonคอยkɔɔiเฝ้าfâoสะพานsà-paanเดินเรือdəən-rʉʉaตลอดdtà-lɔ̀ɔt24ชั่วโมงchûua-moong
The captain strictly schedules the watch shifts on the ship so that the bridge is monitored around the clock.
4NounC1
quarter of the night (traditional)
A traditional division of the night into time segments used historically or in literary contexts.
Examples
ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ยามyaamยามyaam1guard; watchman2time; period; at the time of (formal/lit.)3watch duty; guard shift4quarter of the night (traditional)หนึ่งnʉ̀ngหนึ่งnʉ̀ng1one (number)2a; one; a single3a certain; a particular4first; top; foremostของkɔ̌ɔngของkɔ̌ɔng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsราตรีraa-dtriiราตรีraa-dtriinight; nighttime (formal/literary)ชาวบ้านchaao-bâanชาวบ้านchaao-bâan1villagers; locals; rural residents2ordinary people; laypeople; the public3folksy; colloquial; plain (as a modifier)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)ตีdtiiตีdtii1[to] hit; strike; beat2[to] play (percussion); strike (a gong/drum)3early-morning hour marker (1–5 a.m.)4[to] forge; hammer (metal)5[to] print; stamp; imprint6[to] estimate; reckon; guess (roughly)7[to] interpret; construe; take asเกราะgrɔ̀เกราะgrɔ̀1armor; protective gear2shell; carapaceบอกเวลาbɔ̀ɔk-wee-laaบอกเวลาbɔ̀ɔk-wee-laa[to] tell the time
In the first watch of the night, villagers strike the gong to tell the time.
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เสียงระฆังsǐiang-rá-kangดังขึ้นdang-kʉ̂nทุกtúkยามyaamเป็นbpenสัญญาณsǎn-yaanแบ่งbɛ̀ngช่วงค่ำchûuang-kâmตามdtaamจารีตโบราณjaa-rîit-boo-raan
The bell rings every watch, signaling traditional divisions of the night.
กวีพรรณนาgà-wii-pan-ná-naaความเหงาkwaam-ngǎoในnaiยามyaamสามsǎamเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaความเงียบkwaam-ngîiapเกาะกุมgɔ̀-gumบ้านเมืองbâan-mʉʉangทั้งมวลtáng-muuan
The poet describes loneliness in the third watch, when silence enshrouds the entire town.
ตามdtaamพงศาวดารpong-sǎa-wá-daanทหารtá-hǎanผลัดplàtเวรweenเป็นbpenสี่ยามsìi-yaamเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiการgaanเฝ้าfâoรัฐrátธานีtaa-niiไม่mâiสะดุดsà-dùt
According to the chronicles, soldiers rotated across four night watches so that guarding the capital never faltered.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableEnds in -ม, a sonorant, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
yaam
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Low 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 | — | — |