ดึก
late at night
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 late at night、far into the night
This word primarily describes a time well into the night, when people would normally be sleeping. It can describe either the late hour itself or an action done late at night, and it is occasionally used humorously for advanced age.
late at night、far into the night
Describes the night as already far advanced or very late.
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ดึกแล้ว dʉ̀k lɛ́ɛw It's already late. ดึกแล้ว details
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ตอนดึก tɔɔn dʉ̀k late at night ตอนดึก details
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กลางดึก klaaŋ dʉ̀k in the middle of the night กลางดึก details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central image is of the night having progressed to an hour when people would normally be asleep. ดึกแล้ว means that it is already late, while ดึกมาก emphasizes a very late hour. After a verb, ดึก tells when the action occurs: นอนดึก means “stay up or go to bed late,” and กลับดึก means “return late at night.” จนดึก is a common pattern meaning “until late at night.” There is no fixed clock time at which ดึก begins; it depends on the situation and the speaker’s routine. Its age-related use is slangy and generally limited to expressions such as วัยดึก or สาวดึก. It is much less central than the ordinary nighttime meaning.
Usage
It is common in everyday conversations about going to bed, coming home, working, or studying late. ตอนดึก and กลางดึก are also used when describing noises, incidents, or other events that occurred during the night.
Caution
นอนดึก means “go to bed late” or “stay up late,” not “sleep until late in the morning.” ตื่นสาย is used for waking up late. สาย concerns lateness relative to a schedule or a late time in the morning, whereas ดึก concerns the late hours of the night. Also, ดึกดำบรรพ์ is a fixed word meaning “prehistoric” or “from ancient times” and should not be interpreted literally from the nighttime meaning of ดึก.