waste time
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- 1 waste time、lose time
Describes wasting or losing time, especially when the time spent feels unnecessary or unproductive.
waste time、lose time
Means to lose time on something unnecessary, unproductive, or unexpectedly time-consuming.
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ไม่อยากเสียเวลาทะเลาะกัน mây yàak sǐa weelaa thalɔ́ kan I don't want to waste time arguing. ไม่อยากเสียเวลาทะเลาะกัน details
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รถติดทำให้เสียเวลา rót tìt tham hây sǐa weelaa Traffic makes us lose time. รถติดทำให้เสียเวลา details
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ขอโทษที่ทำให้เสียเวลา khɔ̌ɔ thôot thîi tham hây sǐa weelaa Sorry for taking up your time. ขอโทษที่ทำให้เสียเวลา details
Learning notes
Explanation
เสียเวลา combines เสีย, “to lose,” with เวลา, “time,” and functions as a verb phrase. Its central idea is that time which could have been used elsewhere is lost. It can describe choosing to spend time on something pointless, but it can also describe involuntary delays caused by traffic, waiting, or complicated procedures. It therefore does not always imply personal fault. Common patterns include เสียเวลากับ followed by a noun for wasting time on something, and เสียเวลา followed by a verb for wasting time doing something. ทำให้เสียเวลา means “to cause someone to lose time,” while เพื่อไม่ให้เสียเวลา means “so as not to waste time.”
Usage
This is common when talking about unproductive work, pointless arguments, long waits, traffic jams, detours, or cumbersome procedures. It is natural in both conversation and writing. It is also used to urge someone to act promptly, to move a meeting along, or to apologize for taking up someone's time.
Caution
Do not use เสียเวลา for every instance of “take time.” To state a neutral or necessary duration, use ใช้เวลา; for example, ใช้เวลาสองชั่วโมง means “It takes two hours.” เสียเวลา usually adds the negative idea that the time was wasted, lost, or taken up unnecessarily.
Differences from similar words
1 waste time synonyms
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เปลืองเวลา emphasizes that an activity consumes more time than it is worth. เสียเวลา is broader and more common, covering both deliberately wasting time and losing time because of delays or other circumstances.