Questions

Thai Lesson 9 (Questions and Misunderstanding)

Duration: 30 mins

Lessons Thai Lessons
Linguistic Thai Vocabulary
Culture Thai Phrases
Structure Thai Grammar

This 9th lesson teaches an important aspect in Thai which is the interrogative form also called questions. In addition, there is a list of vocabulary terms about misunderstanding and finally some commonly used phrases. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Thai Classes.

Questions

Being able to ask questions is what makes us curious beings, which in turns broadens our knowledge. It is no different when it comes to learning Thai. You will always be asking questions, and the following are some tools to help you in that quest.

The following are the 5 Ws + "how" commonly used adverbs to express the interrogative form. Most likely, whenever a question needs to be asked, one of them should be used. The table contains 3 columns (English, Thai, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.

Interrogative Form in Thai

Questions Thai Audio
How?อย่างไร?
xỳāngrị?
What?อะไร?
Xarị?
When?เมื่อไหร่?
meụ̄̀x h̄ịr̀?
Where?ที่ไหน
Thī̀h̄ịn
Who?ใคร?
Khır?
Why?ทำไม?
Thảmị?

Now we will try to implement the adverbs above into full Thai sentences. That way you will be able to use the word not only by itself but embedded in a structure.

Thai Questions in a Sentence

Can I come?ฉันมาด้วยได้ไหม
c̄hạn mā d̂wy dị̂ h̄ịm
Can I help you?มีอะไรที่ฉันสามารถช่วยได้ไหม
mī xarị thī̀ c̄hạn s̄āmārt̄h ch̀wy dị̂ h̄ịm
Can you help me?คุณสามารถช่วยฉันได้ไหม
khuṇ s̄āmārt̄h ch̀wy c̄hạn dị̂ h̄ịm
Do you know her?คุณรู้จักเธอไหม
khuṇ rū̂cạk ṭhex h̄ịm
Do you speak English?คุณพูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม
khuṇ phūd p̣hās̄ʹā xạngkvs̄ʹ dị̂ h̄ịm
How difficult is it?มันยากอย่างไร
mạn yāk xỳāngrị
How far is this?สิ่งนี้อยู่ไกลแค่ไหน
s̄ìng nī̂ xyū̀ kịl khæ̀ h̄ịn
How much is this?อันนี้ราคาเท่าไร
xạn nī̂ rākhā thèārị
How would you like to pay?คุณจะจ่ายด้วยวิธีไหน
khuṇ ca c̀āy d̂wy wiṭhī h̄ịn
What is this called?อันนี้เรียกว่าอะไร
Xạn nī̂ reīyk ẁā xarị
What is your name?คุณชื่ออะไร
khuṇ chụ̄̀x xarị
What time is it?กี่โมงแล้ว
kī̀ mong læ̂w
When can we meet?เราจะพบกันเมื่อไหร่
reā ca phb kạn meụ̄̀x h̄ịr̀
Where do you live?คุณพักอยู่ที่ไหน
khuṇ phạk xyū̀ thī̀h̄ịn
Who is knocking at the door?ใครกำลังเคาะประตู
khır kảlạng kheāa pratū
Why is it expensive?ทำไมมันแพงอย่างนั้น
thảmị mạn phæng xỳāng nận

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact me If you simply want to ask a question, please Thai contact form on the header above.

Vocabulary List about Misunderstanding

There are times when you will not understand what a person said in Thai, or simply that you want them to repeat a word. The following are 24 expressions used to clear misunderstandings. Very essential to any conversation!

Misunderstanding in Thai

Misunderstanding Thai Audio
Can you repeat?ช่วยทวนอีกครั้งได้ไหม (ครับ / คะ)
ch̀wy thwn xīk khrậng dị̂ h̄ịm (khrạb/ kha)
Can you speak slowly?ช่วยพูดช้าๆ ได้ไหม (ครับ / คะ)
ch̀wy phūd cĥā«dị̂ h̄ịm (khrạb/ kha)
Did you understand what I said?เข้าใจที่ผมพูดไหม (ครับ / คะ)
k̄hêācı thī̀ p̄hm phūd h̄ịm (khrạb/ kha)
Don't worry!ไม่ต้องห่วง (ครับ / ค่ะ)
mị̀ t̂xng h̄̀wng (khrạb/ kh̀a)
Excuse me? (i.e. I beg your pardon?)ขอโทษ (ครับ / ค่ะ)
k̄hxthos̄ʹ (khrạb/ kh̀a)
How do you say "OK" in French?คำว่า ""OK"" พูดอย่างไรในภาษาฝรั่งเศษ (ครับ / คะ)
khả ẁā""OK"" phūd xỳāngrị nı p̣hās̄ʹā f̄rạ̀ng ṣ̄es̄ʹ (khrạb/ kha)
I don't know!ไม่ทราบ (ครับ / ค่ะ)
mị̀ thrāb (khrạb/ kh̀a)
I don't understand!ไม่เข้าใจ (ครับ / ค่ะ)
mị̀ k̄hêācı (khrạb/ kh̀a)
I need to practice my Frenchต้องรื้อฟื้นภาษาฝรั่งเศษเสียหน่อยแล้ว (ครับ / ค่ะ)
t̂xng rụ̄̂xfụ̄̂n p̣hās̄ʹā f̄rạ̀ng ṣ̄es̄ʹ s̄eīyh̄ǹxy læ̂w (khrạb/ kh̀a)
Is that right?ถูกต้องไหม (ครับ / คะ)
t̄hūk t̂xng h̄ịm (khrạb/ kha)
Is that wrong?ผิดหรือเปล่า (ครับ / ค่ะ)
p̄hid h̄rụ̄x pel̀ā (khrạb/ kh̀a)
Mistakeความผิด
khwām p̄hid
My French is badพูดภาษาฝรั่งเศษไม่ค่อยเก่ง (ครับ / ค่ะ)
phūd p̣hās̄ʹā f̄rạ̀ng ṣ̄es̄ʹ mị̀kh̀xy kèng (khrạb/ kh̀a)
No problem!ไม่เป็นไร (ครับ / ค่ะ)
mị̀ pĕnrị (khrạb/ kh̀a)
Quicklyเร็วๆ
rĕw«
Slowlyช้าๆ
cĥā«
Sorry (to apologize)ขอโทษ (ครับ / ค่ะ)
k̄hxthos̄ʹ (khrạb/ kh̀a)
To speakพูด
phūd
What does that word mean in English?คำนี้มีความหมายอย่างไรในภาษาอังกฤษ (ครับ / คะ)
khả nī̂ mī khwām h̄māy xỳāngrị nı p̣hās̄ʹā xạngkvs̄ʹ (khrạb/ kha)
What is this?นี่คืออะไร (ครับ / คะ)
nī̀ khụ̄x xarị (khrạb/ kha)
What should I say?จะให้พูดอะไรดี (ครับ / คะ)
ca h̄ı̂ phūd xarị dī (khrạb/ kha)
What?อะไร (ครับ / คะ)
xarị (khrạb/ kha)
What's that called in French?สิ่งนี้เรียกว่าอะไร ในภาษาฝรั่งเศษ (ครับ / คะ)
s̄ìng nī̂ reīyk ẁā xarị nı p̣hās̄ʹā f̄rạ̀ng ṣ̄es̄ʹ (khrạb/ kha)
Write it down please!กรุณาจดด้วย (ครับ / ค่ะ)
kruṇā cd d̂wy (khrạb/ kh̀a)

Daily Conversation in Thai

Finally, a list of some common phrases that you might come across from time to time. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Thai Phrases page. Enjoy!

Common Expressions in Thai

English Thai Audio
Thisนี่
nī̀
Thatนั่น
nạ̀n
Hereที่นี่
thī̀ nī̀
Thereที่นั่น
thī̀ nạ̀n
In The Morningในตอนเช้า
nı txn chêā
In the eveningในตอนเย็น
nı txn yĕn
At Nightตอนกลางคืน
txn klāngkhụ̄n
Really!จริงหรือเปล่า
cring h̄rụ̄x pel̀ā
Look!ระวัง
rawạng
Hurry up!เร็วหน่อย
rĕw h̄ǹxy

Fun Facts

Language Quote: The oldest written language was believed to be written in about 4500 BC.

Congratulations! You finished your 9th lesson in Thai about questions, and misunderstanding. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Thai Lesson 10. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Thai homepage.

Lessons Thai Lessons
Linguistic Thai Vocabulary
Culture Thai Phrases
Structure Thai Grammar