Language/Thai/Grammar/Questions

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Questions (คำถาม) in Thai

สวัสดี! Thai Learners! 😃

➡ In today's lesson we will learn how to ask and answer questions in Thai.

Happy learning!

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Tenses, Thai Classifiers, How to Use Have & Plurals.

Chaï Maï ใช ไหม

There are several ways to ask questions in Thai. One of the most widely used is the Chaï Maï ใช ไหม. These two words are used at the end of a sentence where the wording is already supposed to contain the answer.

➡ In a way, this formula is the equivalent in English of "Insn't it? - right?".

In Thai, this is to ask for confirmation when you have a vague idea of ​​the answer.

For example, when the taxi driver is unsure of the direction, he will tend to ask you for confirmation with whatever answer seems most obvious to him.

For example, he thinks that your destination is straight ahead but is not 100% sure, so he will ask you: ตรง ไป ใช ไหม ครับ Trong Paï Chaï Maï Khrap Literally: straight ahead, right?

Often, the answer to this type of question will be affirmative and we can answer ไช่ ครับ Chaï Khrap / Ka, ตรง ไป ครับ Trong Paï Khrap, or even simply the polite phrase ครับ / ค่ะ Khrap / Ka.

To say “no”, we must then use the negative particle ไม่ Maï in front of ไช่ Chaï, or ไม่ ไช่ ครับ Mai Chai Khrap / Ka.

Then, since the answer is no, he wishes to explain to the driver where you want to go.

After reading this lesson on "Chaï Maï" questions, one can logically assume that you have understood it.

A friend may then ask you: คุณ เข้าใจ บทเรียน นี้ ไช่ ไหม คะ Khun Kaojaï Botrian Ni Chaï Mai Ka / Khrap? บทเรียนนี้ Botrian Ni = this lesson. เข้าใจ Kaojai = to understand.

Question Words and Examples

Thaï	Translation
ใคร (khır)	Who
ที่ไหน (thī̀h̄ịn)	Where
อะไร (xarị)	what
ทำไม (thảmị)	Why
อย่างไร (xỳāngrị)	How? 'Or' What
อันไหน (xạn h̄ịn)	which
เมื่อ (meụ̄̀x)	when
เท่าไหร่ (thèā h̄ịr̀)	How much ? (mass)
เท่าไหร่ (thèā h̄ịr̀)	How much ? (quantity)
ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน (h̄̂xngn̂ả xyū̀ thī̀h̄ịn)	Where are the toilets ?
คุณชื่ออะไร (khuṇ chụ̄̀x xarị)	What is your name ?
คุณสามารถช่วยฉันได้ไหม (khuṇ s̄āmārt̄h ch̀wy c̄hạn dị̂ h̄ịm)	Can you help me ?
คุณรักฉันไหม (khuṇ rạk c̄hạn h̄ịm)	Do you love me ?
อันนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่ (xạn nī̂ rākhā thèā h̄ịr̀)	How much does it cost ?
เพราะว่า ...	Because ...

Sources

• https://www.thailande-fr.com/culture/47104-questions-se-terminant-chai-mai
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBxFnP4uiK8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp57mM_7dnc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSRfds9SkEI
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCI-AM7_a5o

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Conditional Mood
• Future Tense
• Thai Classifiers
• Nouns
• Negation
• Personal pronouns
• Tenses
• Adjectives

Table of Contents - Thai Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Greetings & Introductions

• Saying Hello
• Asking for Name and Nationality
• Introducing Family Members

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject and Verb
• Negative Sentences
• Questions
• Adjectives

  ---

Numbers and Counting

• Numbers 1-10
• Numbers 11-100
• Ordinal Numbers
• Telephone Numbers

  ---

Present Tense Verbs

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Verb 'To Be'

  ---

Thai Culture and Customs

• Thai Greetings
• Thai Food and Dining Etiquette
• Thai Festivals

  ---

Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Time Expressions
• Days of the Week and Months

  ---

Adverbs

• Adverbs of Time
• Adverbs of Frequency
• Adverbs of Manner
• Comparative and Superlative Adverbs

  ---

Colors

• Basic Colors
• Describing Colors
• Fruit and Vegetables

  ---

Pronouns

• Subject Pronouns
• Object Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Thai Geography and Places

• Thai Provinces and Capitals
• Tourist Attractions in Thailand

  ---

Animals

• Common Animals
• Pet Animals
• Wild Animals

  ---

Prepositions

• Basic Prepositions
• Prepositions of Movement

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