สองทุ่ม

Explanation

สอง means “two,” while ทุ่ม is part of the traditional Thai system for telling time in the evening. In this system, หนึ่งทุ่ม is 7 p.m., สองทุ่ม is 8 p.m., and สามทุ่ม is 9 p.m. It is therefore best to learn สองทุ่ม as a complete expression meaning “8 p.m.” It is common and natural in everyday speech. It can also stand alone as an answer to กี่โมง (“What time?”), as in สองทุ่มครับ or สองทุ่มค่ะ (“At eight p.m.”).

Usage

It is commonly used when discussing evening plans and schedules, such as meeting friends, movie or program start times, business hours, and the time someone finishes work.

Caution

Do not interpret it as 2 p.m.; 2 p.m. is บ่ายสองโมง. Also, หนึ่งทุ่ม begins at 7 p.m., not 6 p.m.; 6 p.m. is หกโมงเย็น. Formal schedules and timetables often use the 24-hour form 20.00 น. instead.

1 8 p.m. synonyms

• ยี่สิบนาฬิกา

  ยี่สิบนาฬิกา also means 20:00, but it uses the 24-hour clock and is common in formal announcements and schedules. สองทุ่ม is the more natural choice in everyday conversation.