Log inSign up

ค่ำ　แล้ว　ป่านนี้　ตลาด　คง　ปิด　หมด　แล้ว　ครับ

ค่ำ　แล้ว　ป่านนี้　ตลาด　คง　ปิด　หมด　แล้ว　ครับ
It is evening, by this time the market must be completely closed.
From Lesson 332:Deductive time expectations (ป่านนี้... คง...)·Thai

Questions & Answers about ค่ำ　แล้ว　ป่านนี้　ตลาด　คง　ปิด　หมด　แล้ว　ครับ

Why is คง separated from ป่านนี้ by the word ตลาด?
ป่านนี้ (by this time) is a time phrase that sets up the situation, so it naturally sits at the start of the clause. คง (probably/must) is an auxiliary verb that modifies the action, so it must be placed directly in front of the main verb ปิด (to close). This gives us the standard subject-auxiliary-verb order: ตลาด คง ปิด (the market must close).
Why are there two instances of แล้ว in this sentence?
Each แล้ว modifies a different clause to show a change of state or a completed action. The first one belongs to ค่ำ (ค่ำแล้ว - it has become evening). The second belongs to the market closing (ปิดหมดแล้ว - is completely closed). Keeping both highlights the cause-and-effect logic of the speaker's deduction.
Doesn't หมด usually mean to run out or be empty? How does it work with ปิด (to close)?
You are right that หมด often means to run out of something. However, when placed directly after an action verb like ปิด, it acts as an adverb meaning completely or all. In ปิดหมดแล้ว, it emphasizes that the market is entirely closed, implying every single stall has shut down.
Would it make sense to use เย็น instead of ค่ำ here to mean evening?
You could, but it would weaken the speaker's deduction. เย็น refers to late afternoon or early evening (around 4 PM to 6 PM), a time when Thai markets are often still open and bustling. ค่ำ refers to the darker part of the evening after sunset, which makes it much more logical to deduce that the market is completely closed by now.

Learn ค่ำ　แล้ว　ป่านนี้　ตลาด　คง　ปิด　หมด　แล้ว　ครับ and more in Thai

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Thai →