สาย

Explanation

The core image of สาย is something long and continuous that connects one point to another. Its meanings extend from visible cords and wires to transportation routes, phone lines, family lines, personal contacts, and educational or professional tracks. In modern casual speech, สาย plus an activity or interest can label a type of person: สายกิน is a food lover, while สายเที่ยว is someone who enjoys traveling or going out. The meaning “late” is a separate use. มาสาย means to arrive late, ตื่นสาย means to wake up late, and สายแล้ว means that it is already too late or later than intended. สาย also serves as a classifier for roads, rivers, routes, wires, and similar line-like things. Some thin objects instead take เส้น, so learners should pay attention to the conventional noun-classifier pairing.

Usage

In daily life, สาย is common when talking about charging cables, electrical wires, bag straps, and other long connecting objects. In transportation, it identifies bus routes, railway lines, roads, and directions of service. On the phone, common expressions include รอสาย “stay on the line,” วางสาย “hang up,” and สายไม่ว่าง “the line is busy.” At school and work, it appears in terms such as สายวิทย์ “science track” and สายงาน “line of work.” On social media and in casual conversation, combinations such as สายกิน and สายเที่ยว categorize people by their interests and habits. For time, มาสาย is commonly used for arriving late, while ตื่นสาย means waking up late.

Caution

สาย does not cover every meaning of “line.” Drawn lines, outlines, noodles, and strands of hair commonly use เส้น, while สาย is better suited to connecting cords and established routes. สายๆ normally means sometime in the late morning, not late at night; ดึก is used for late-night hours. Also, “arrive late” is normally expressed as มาสาย rather than treating สาย alone as a verb.

1 late synonyms

• ช้า

  cháa late

  ช้า describes slow movement, speed, or progress. สาย means late relative to an expected or scheduled time.

• ดึก

  dʉ̀k late at night

  ดึก refers specifically to a late hour at night. สาย describes being late for a schedule or doing something later than usual.

2 late morning synonyms

• เช้า

  cháaw morning

  เช้า refers to the morning in general, especially its earlier hours. สาย is the later portion of the morning approaching noon.

3 cord synonyms

• เส้น

  sên line

  เส้น broadly describes thin, elongated things such as lines, threads, and noodles. สาย is especially common for cords and cables that connect things or carry electricity or signals.

4 route synonyms

• เส้นทาง

  เส้นทาง is a general path or way to a destination. สาย is more often used for an established transportation line or service route.

5 phone line synonyms

• โทรศัพท์

  thoorasàp telephone

  โทรศัพท์ refers to a telephone, telephony, or the act of calling. สาย focuses on the connection or the call currently on the line.

6 field synonyms

• ด้าน

  dâan field

  ด้าน broadly means an aspect or area. สาย presents the area as a recognizable track or line that people study or work in.

• สาขา

  sǎakhǎa field

  สาขา is a more specific and often more formal term for an academic major, organizational branch, or business division. สาย often describes a broad study or career track in everyday speech.

7 fan of ... synonyms

• แฟน

  fɛɛn fan

  แฟน directly means a fan or supporter of a person, work, or team. สาย plus a noun casually categorizes someone by their interests or habits.

8 contact synonyms

• เส้นสาย

  เส้นสาย often suggests influential connections used to obtain favors and can sound negative. Depending on context, สาย may simply mean a contact or an inside source.

9 stream synonyms

• กระแส

  krasɛ̌ɛ current

  กระแส means a current or flow of water, air, electricity, or even public opinion. สาย emphasizes a long, narrow, visibly continuous stream or streak.