Thai language: Question Words

Just for fun, I’ve decided to add a new category to my blog titled “Thai language”.  In here I’ll put some short items designed for the casual visitor to Thailand who’d like to have a few words or phrases in the local language to impress the girls with.

These items will be short, and focused on simple, easy to learn-easy to remember language.

These items are NOT intended to assist people who know the language or live here full time.  They are also NOT intended to teach anyone to speak or read Thai.  If you want to learn the language, buy a book, a CD or take a class. 

I’m simply trying to entertain, and provide some simple vocabulary that people can retain and use on their next trip to Thialand. 

In this blog I want to focus on Question Words, and how they are used in Thai.

Question Words in English

We are all familiar with question words in English; primarily words like who, what, where, when, why and how.

These all have a corresponding word in Thai that are not difficult to learn and remember, but question formation in Thai is a bit different than in English.

In English, we start the question with a question word, we finish (when writing) with a question mark, or (when speaking) by using a rising tone at the end of the question.

Forming Questions In Thai

Thai is a tonal language, so using a rising tone at the end of the sentence will not signal a question, it will simply confuse your listener by changing the meaning of your words.

In Thai, questions don’t usually begin with question words, they end with question words.  It’s normally the last word in the sentence that creates the question, so there is no question mark when writing, and no rising tone when speaking.

Here are seven common question words in Thai.  There are many others:

arai = what

meuarai = when

teenai = where

towrai = how many or how much

tammai = why

yang-ngai = how

krai = who or whom (and sometimes which)

Every question in Thai has a question word in it.  Always, all the time, as far as I know.   Usually the question word comes at the end.  But not every question is a who, what, when, where, why, how type of question. 

For example, you may simply want to ask, “Would you like to go to watch a movie?”

When you want to form this type of question, the most common question word used is mai. 

So, let’s look at some common question forms using the question words reviewed above.

In the sample sentences below, I have put ‘kh’ to indicate the words ‘krab’ or ‘kaa’.  If you don’t know why, and would like to know, you can click here.

Cheu arai kh = What’s your name?

Khun yaag tam arai kh = What do you want to do? (Literally, “You want to do what?”)

Khun maa-waa tee rohngrian yang-ngai? = How did you come to school? (by bus, train, etc)

Rao ja gin kao meuarai kh = When will we eat?  (ja is ‘will’ or future; so, literally “We will eat when?”)

Khun yaag ja bai meuarai kh = When do you want to go?  (Literally, “You want to go when?”)

Dtawnee, khao yoo teenai kh = Where is he now? (Literally, “Now, he stays where?”)

Meu-teu pom yoo teenai kh = Where is my mobile phone? (Literally, “Mobile phone my stays where?”)

Khao mee satang towrai kh = How much money does she have? (Literally, “She has money how much?”)

Meu-teu nee raka towrai kh = How much does this mobile phone cost? (Literally, “Mobile phone this costs how much?”)

Khun mee rot kaan towrai kh = How many cars do you have? (Literally, “You have cars vehicles how many?”)

Khun chawb footbann tammai kh = Why do you like football?

Hawng nee lawn tammai kh = Why is this room hot?  (Literally, “Room this hot why?”)

Poo-shai khun ben khon krai kh = Which person is your older brother? (Literally, “Older brother your is person which?”)

Note: When you ask a question using ‘mai‘ at the end, the word ‘mai‘ doesn’t have any meaning.  Essentially it acts like a question mark.  See the examples below:

Khun yaag bai doo-nang mai kh = Do you want to go to watch a movie? (Literally, “You want to go watch movie (question word)”)

Nong-sao khun nuay mai kh = Is your younger-sister tired? (Nong-sao is ‘younger sister’; nuay is ‘tired’)

Ow deum bia mai kh = Do you want to drink beer? (ow is ‘want’; deum is ‘drink’)

Khun paw sabai dee mai kh = Is your/our/my father okay?  (Khun paw is ‘father’)

As a foreigner, you can generally get away with butchering gammar and word order, and you can use the word mai to form nearly every question, except when you use the other words reviewed above (arai, meuarai, teenai, towrai, tammai, krai, yang-ngai).  You never — as far as I know — combine two question words together at the and of a sentence.

Realize that Thais have many other question words, and they will use them.  It’s good to be able to recognize them when you hear them.  Here are a few examples:

A. Ruplao

ruplao = is it?  are they? do they?  have you?

Baan khun sokabrog ruplao kh = Is your house dirty/messy?  (sokabrog is ‘dirty’)

B. Chai mai 

chai mai = is that right?  (The answer will be yes (chai) or no (mai chai))

Khun ben kohn Gowlee chai mai kh = You are Korean, aren’t you? (Kohn Gowlee is ‘Korean’)

C. Dai mai  

dai mai = can you?  Is it possible?

Khun pood passa Thai dai mai kh = Can you speak Thai?  (Literally, “You speak language Thai can?)

Bai duay dai mai kh = Can we go together? (This is what a bar girl asks you when she wants you to pay her bar fine)

D. Leau!

Note: Leau is a question word that denotes surprise.  Effectively it acts as an exclamation point (!).  It is often used together with the word jing, which means ‘really’ or ‘true’ or ‘truth’ or ’sure’.

Khun now leau = You’re cold, are you?! (now is ‘cold’)

Jing leau = Really?!  or Is it true?!  or Are you serious?!

Khun yaag glab baan leau = You want to go home, do you?! (yaag is ‘want to’; glab baan is ‘go home’) 

E. Na

Na = okay? or right? or please? (na is a fairly informal word; almost slang, that can replace mai when making a sentence.  It is often used when you make a statement, then add na to turn it into a request or question.)

You actually use na in four situations:

1. You asked a question, didn’t hear the answer, and you repeat the question.  The first time you may ask, “Cheu arai kh?” (what’s your name?).  When you repeat the question you say, “Cheu arai na kh?”

2. To say please.  For example, the cashier at 7-11 may say, “Cheun na kaa”.  This basically means, ‘can I help you please?’

3. It is given as a command; basically ‘do it or else’.  You scold your children by saying “Gin pak na!” (eat your vegetables!)

4. It creates a tag question (isn’t it, aren’t they, doesn’t she, don’t you think so).  For example, “Kao su-waay na kaa” (She’s beautiful, isn’t she) or “Khun hew na krab” (You’re hungry, aren’t you?”)

Toh-haa na kh = Call me back, please.  or Call me back, okay? (Toh-haa is ‘to call back’)

Rao ja bai duay na kh = We’ll go together, okay?

Khun yaag chan bid fai na kh = You want me to turn off the light, right?  (bid is ‘turn off’ or ‘close’; fai is ‘light’ or ‘electicity’)

Okay, that’s enough!

You should know a little about question words now.  Remember a few rules:

1. You usually put the question word at the end of the sentence
2. When speaking, you don’t need to use a rising tone to indicate a question like you do in english, and when writing in Thai question marks are not used
3. You use only one question word in a sentence; you don’t combine them
4. As a farang, 80% to 90% of your questions can probably be formed using the word mai, but Thais have an array of question words that they use

Good luck asking questions and understanding the questions that others ask you!