ตีสี่

Explanation

ตีสี่ means “4 a.m.” ตี ordinarily means “to strike” and สี่ means “four,” but together they form a fixed time expression. Thai commonly uses ตีหนึ่ง through ตีห้า for 1 a.m. through 5 a.m. ตีสี่ can follow a verb directly, as in ตื่นตีสี่ (“wake up at 4 a.m.”), or appear after ตอน, as in ตอนตีสี่ (“at 4 a.m.”).

Usage

Used in everyday conversation for events scheduled at 4 a.m., such as waking up, leaving for a trip, starting work, or traveling to the airport. It is also natural when stating the current time, as in ตอนนี้ตีสี่แล้ว (“It’s already 4 a.m.”).

Caution

ตีสี่ refers only to 4 a.m., never 4 p.m. The usual expression for 4 p.m. is สี่โมงเย็น. To say “around 4 a.m.,” use ประมาณตีสี่ or ราว ๆ ตีสี่.

1 4 a.m. synonyms

• สี่นาฬิกา

  สี่นาฬิกา is a more neutral, explicit clock-time expression and may require context to clarify morning or afternoon. ตีสี่ is the everyday expression specifically for 4 a.m.