สาย
sǎai/saːj˩˩˦/
The English word "late" is translated into Thai as สาย (sǎai).
The word สาย is used specifically to describe being late for an appointment, work or a scheduled event, such as not arriving until after an expected time.
Meaning: not arriving until after an expected time (adj)
Which one should you use?
While สาย refers to being late in terms of time or arrival, the word ช้า is used to mean "slow" in terms of speed.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "to arrive late" or "to come late", you often use the verb phrase มาสาย. If you want to express that someone is very late, you can add มาก after สาย to form สายมาก.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /saːj˩˩˦/. The romanization is sǎai.
Did you know?
- The word สาย also refers to a 'cord' or 'string' in Thai. This original meaning is still used today for things like electrical cables or telephone lines.
- In Thailand, apologizing for being มาสาย is often accompanied by a smile to help preserve 'greng jai', the cultural desire to avoid causing discomfort to others.
- The word สาย is used to describe the time of day between early morning and noon. If it is 'late morning', a Thai speaker uses สาย to describe that specific window of time.
Examples in context
- เราจะสายWe'll be late.This sentence is useful for saying we will be late using สาย.Tatoeba #10300860 by Somsak, translation #2241545 by CK
- สายเกินไปToo late.This sentence is useful for saying it is too late using สาย.Tatoeba #7878794 by pastelite, translation #1875 by Swift
- คุณสายเกินไปYou're way too late.This sentence is useful for saying you are way too late using สาย.Tatoeba #8720288 by pastelite, translation #3331032 by CK
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are arriving at the office.
- วิทวัส Witthawatวันนี้ผมมาสายครับwan-nii phom maa saai krapI am late today.
- ณิชา Nichaทำไมวันนี้คุณถึงมาสายtham-mai wan-nii khun thueng maa saaiWhy are you late today?
- วิทวัส Witthawatรถติดมากเลยครับrot tit maak loei krapThe traffic was very bad.
- ณิชา Nichaรีบไปทำงานเถอะค่ะriip pai tham-ngaan thoe khaHurry up and get to work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “late” translations and entries สาย, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries สาย, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
