ຕຳຈອກ
tam chǭk[tam˩(˧).t͡ɕɔːk̚˧˩]
The Lao phrase for cheers is ຕຳຈອກ (tam chǭk).
ຕຳຈອກ is used as a toast when clinking glasses during a drinking session.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'hit glass'. The second part, ຈອກ, means glass or cup.
How do you pronounce it?
tam chǭk
Did you know?
- When using ຕຳຈອກ, it is considered polite to ensure your glass is slightly lower than your elder's glass when they hit together.
- While 'hit glass' is the literal meaning, the word ຕຳ is more commonly used in Lao to describe a physical collision or a car crash.
- The word ຕຳ in ຕຳຈອກ is the same word used for making ຕຳໝາກຫຸ່ງ (papaya salad), which is made by pounding ingredients in a mortar.
Examples in context
- ຕຳຈອກກັນເທາະ!tam chok kan thoh!Let's toast!
- ພວກເຮົາຕຳຈອກເພື່ອສຸຂະພາບ.phuak hao tam chok pheua suk kha phap.We toast to health.
- ຕຳຈອກກ່ອນກິນເຂົ້າ.tam chok kon kin khao.Let's toast before eating.
Example conversation
Two friends are having drinks at a restaurant.
- Aເຄື່ອງດື່ມມາແລ້ວ, ຕຳຈອກ!khreuang deuam ma laew, tam chok!The drinks are here, cheers!
- Bຕຳຈອກ! ຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍໆ.tam chok! khop chai lai lai.Cheers! Thank you very much.
- Aຂໍໃຫ້ມີຄວາມສຸກໃນຄືນນີ້.kho hai mi khwam suk nai kheun ni.I hope you have a happy night.
- Bຂ້ອຍກໍ່ຄືກັນ.khoy ko kheu kan.Me too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries ຕຳຈອກ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
