Telling Time
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Telling time in Lao uses specific markers like 'โมง' (mong) for hours and 'ນາທີ' (nathi) for minutes.
- Use 'โมง' (mong) for morning/afternoon hours: 'ສາມໂມງ' (sam mong) = 3:00.
- Use 'ທຸ່ມ' (thum) for evening hours: 'ສາມທຸ່ມ' (sam thum) = 9:00 PM.
- Add 'ນາທີ' (nathi) after the number for minutes: 'ສິບນາທີ' (sip nathi) = 10 minutes.
Meanings
The system used to express clock time in Lao, distinguishing between daytime and nighttime hours.
Daytime Hours
Hours from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
“ແປດໂມງ (paet mong) - 8:00 AM”
“ສິບເອັດໂມງ (sip et mong) - 11:00 AM”
Nighttime Hours
Hours from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
“ໜຶ່ງທຸ່ມ (nueng thum) - 7:00 PM”
“ສອງທຸ່ມ (song thum) - 8:00 PM”
Lao Time Markers
| Time | Marker | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 AM - 11 AM | โมง | ແປດໂມງ | 8:00 AM |
| 12 PM | ທ່ຽງ | ທ່ຽງ | 12:00 PM |
| 1 PM - 6 PM | โมง | ບ່າຍສາມໂມງ | 3:00 PM |
| 7 PM - 11 PM | ທຸ່ມ | ສອງທຸ່ມ | 8:00 PM |
| 12 AM | ທ່ຽງຄືນ | ທ່ຽງຄືນ | Midnight |
| 1 AM - 5 AM | ຕີ | ຕີສາມ | 3:00 AM |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Number + Marker | ສີ່ໂມງ (4:00) |
| Negative | ບໍ່ແມ່ນ + Time | ບໍ່ແມ່ນສີ່ໂມງ (Not 4:00) |
| Question | ຈັກໂມງ + Sentence | ຈັກໂມງແລ້ວ? (What time is it?) |
| Minutes | Hour + Minute + ນາທີ | ສີ່ໂມງສິບນາທີ (4:10) |
| Half Hour | Hour + ເຄິ່ງ | ສີ່ໂມງເຄິ່ງ (4:30) |
| Early Morning | ຕີ + Number | ຕີສອງ (2:00 AM) |
Spectre de formalité
ຂໍໂທດ, ຕອນນີ້ຈັກໂມງ? (Asking for time)
ຕອນນີ້ຈັກໂມງ? (Asking for time)
ຈັກໂມງແລ້ວ? (Asking for time)
ຈັກໂມງລະ? (Asking for time)
Lao Time Cycle
Day
- โมง Daytime marker
Night
- ທຸ່ມ Nighttime marker
Early
- ຕີ Pre-dawn marker
Examples by Level
ຕອນນີ້ຈັກໂມງ?
What time is it now?
ແປດໂມງເຊົ້າ.
8:00 AM.
ສອງທຸ່ມ.
8:00 PM.
ສິບໂມງ.
10:00 AM.
ຂ້ອຍຈະໄປໂຮງຮຽນຕອນແປດໂມງ.
I will go to school at 8:00 AM.
ຮ້ານອາຫານປິດສາມທຸ່ມ.
The restaurant closes at 9:00 PM.
ຕອນນີ້ບ່າຍສອງໂມງ.
It is 2:00 PM now.
ຕື່ນນອນຕີຫ້າ.
Wake up at 5:00 AM.
ນັດພົບກັນຕອນສິບໂມງເຄິ່ງ.
Let's meet at 10:30.
ລົດເມມາຮອດຕອນສີ່ໂມງແລງ.
The bus arrives at 4:00 PM.
ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກຮອດຫ້າທຸ່ມ.
I work until 11:00 PM.
ຕື່ນຕອນຕີສາມເພື່ອໄປຕະຫຼາດ.
Wake up at 3:00 AM to go to the market.
ກອງປະຊຸມເລີ່ມຕອນແປດໂມງເຄິ່ງຂອງຕອນເຊົ້າ.
The meeting starts at 8:30 AM.
ເຮົາຄວນອອກເດີນທາງຕອນຕີສີ່.
We should depart at 4:00 AM.
ຮ້ານນີ້ເປີດຮອດທ່ຽງຄືນ.
This shop is open until midnight.
ລາວມາຮອດຕອນບ່າຍສາມໂມງ.
He arrived at 3:00 PM.
ການປະຊຸມຖືກເລື່ອນໄປເປັນຕອນສິບໂມງສິບຫ້ານາທີ.
The meeting was moved to 10:15.
ພວກເຂົາເຮັດວຽກຕັ້ງແຕ່ຕີຫ້າຈົນຮອດຄ່ຳ.
They work from 5:00 AM until evening.
ນັດໝາຍໄວ້ຕອນສອງທຸ່ມສິບຫ້ານາທີ.
The appointment is at 9:15 PM.
ຮອດເວລາທ່ຽງວັນແລ້ວ.
It is noon already.
ໃນສະໄໝກ່ອນ ເຂົາໃຊ້ແສງຕາເວັນບອກເວລາ.
In the past, they used the sun to tell time.
ນັດກັນຕອນສາມທຸ່ມເຄິ່ງ ຢ່າລືມເດີ້.
Don't forget we are meeting at 9:30 PM.
ລົດໄຟອອກຕອນຕີສອງສິບຫ້ານາທີ.
The train departs at 2:25 AM.
ກິດຈະກຳເລີ່ມຕອນບ່າຍສອງໂມງເຄິ່ງ.
The activity starts at 2:30 PM.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up daytime and nighttime markers.
Using 'โมง' for early morning hours.
Using 'ສິບສອງໂມງ' for noon.
Erreurs courantes
ສາມໂມງ (night)
ສາມທຸ່ມ
ສິບນາທີໂມງ
ສິບໂມງສິບນາທີ
ຕີສິບ
ສິບໂມງ
ຈັກໂມງ?
ຕອນນີ້ຈັກໂມງ?
ຫົກໂມງ (evening)
ຫົກໂມງແລງ
ສອງທຸ່ມເຄິ່ງ
ສອງທຸ່ມສາມສິບນາທີ
ສິບສອງໂມງ
ທ່ຽງ
ຕີຫົກ
ຫົກໂມງເຊົ້າ
ສິບສາມໂມງ
ບ່າຍໜຶ່ງໂມງ
ທ່ຽງຄືນ
ສິບສອງທຸ່ມ
ສາມໂມງເຊົ້າ
ຕີສາມ
ສິບສອງໂມງກາງຄືນ
ທ່ຽງຄືນ
ສິບໂມງສິບ
ສິບໂມງສິບນາທີ
Sentence Patterns
ຕອນນີ້ ___ ໂມງ.
ຂ້ອຍຈະໄປ ___ ຕອນ ___.
ຮ້ານນີ້ເປີດຕັ້ງແຕ່ ___ ຈົນຮອດ ___.
ເຈົ້າຕື່ນນອນຕອນ ___ ບໍ່?
Real World Usage
ເຈີກັນສາມທຸ່ມເດີ້.
ລົດເມອອກຕອນແປດໂມງ.
ກອງປະຊຸມເລີ່ມເກົ້າໂມງ.
ສົ່ງຮອດຕອນສອງທຸ່ມ.
ໄລຟ໌ສົດຕອນສອງທຸ່ມ.
ຂ້ອຍມາຮອດຕອນແປດໂມງ.
Use Context
Night vs Day
Early Morning
Flexibility
Smart Tips
Always think: Is it day or night?
Don't forget 'ນາທີ'.
Remember 'ຕີ'.
Use 'ທ່ຽງ'.
Prononciation
Tone
Lao is tonal; ensure 'โมง' (mid tone) and 'ທຸ່ມ' (low tone) are pronounced correctly.
Question
ຈັກໂມງ? ↑
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Day is 'Mong', Night is 'Thum', Early morning 'Ti' is the drum.
Visual Association
Imagine a bright sun for 'Mong' and a dark moon for 'Thum'.
Rhyme
Daytime is Mong, evening is Thum, early morning Ti, here we come.
Story
I woke up at 'Ti' three. By 'Mong' eight, I was at work. At 'Thum' nine, I went to sleep.
Word Web
Défi
Look at your watch every hour today and say the time in Lao.
Notes culturelles
Time is often flexible in social settings. 'Coming at 8' might mean 8:15.
The Lao time system is derived from traditional sun-tracking methods.
Conversation Starters
ຕອນນີ້ຈັກໂມງ?
ເຈົ້າເລີກວຽກຈັກໂມງ?
ຮ້ານນີ້ເປີດຈັກໂມງ?
ເຈົ້າຕື່ນນອນຕອນຈັກໂມງ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ແປດ ___ (8:00 AM)
9:00 PM is:
Find and fix the mistake:
ສາມໂມງ (night) -> ?
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
It is 2:00 PM.
Answer starts with: ບ່າ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
8:00 AM -> 8:00 PM
I / sleep / 10 PM
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesແປດ ___ (8:00 AM)
9:00 PM is:
Find and fix the mistake:
ສາມໂມງ (night) -> ?
ໂມງ / ແປດ / ເຊົ້າ
It is 2:00 PM.
Match 3 AM.
8:00 AM -> 8:00 PM
I / sleep / 10 PM
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Lao uses markers to indicate the time of day naturally.
Yes, in formal settings, but 'mong/thum' is better for daily life.
Add 'ຕອນເຊົ້າ' or 'ຕອນແລງ' to clarify.
No, 6 AM is 'ຫົກໂມງ'.
Use 'ທ່ຽງ'.
Use 'ທ່ຽງຄືນ'.
No, always include the marker.
Yes, they are standard across the country.
In Other Languages
Son las...
Lao markers indicate time of day.
Il est...
Lao uses unique words for markers.
Es ist...
Lao is more colloquial.
Ji
Lao has day/night markers.
Sa'a
Lao markers are distinct.
Dian
Lao has specific night markers.
