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Verbs

Ask in Thai

“Ask” in Thai is ขอkǎw.

ขอ kǎw

to ask for; may I have… verb ask for (politely)

  • kǎw rising
  • Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”

The polite way to ask for anything: ขอkǎw + the thing. Add หน่อยnàwy at the end to make it softer.

Taught in Unit 5 · Lesson 2: Ordering of the free course.

Practise it free

How to use it

Asking for something is ขอkǎw: ขอน้ำหน่อยkǎw náam nàwy, could I have some water? Asking a question is ถามtǎam, and asking someone's advice is ปรึกษาbprùek-sǎa. Our page on please in Thai shows how ขอkǎw makes any request polite.

Other spellings you'll see

There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:

  • kho
  • khor
  • kor
  • khaw

Read more

More verbs in Thai

All verbs
  • เป็น bpen Be

    to be (a nationality, a job, a role)

  • มี mii Have

    to have

  • ไป bpai Go

    to go

  • มา maa Come

    to come

  • กิน gin Eat

    to eat

  • ดื่ม dùuem Drink

    to drink

Learn this word in Unit 5, free

Unit 5 · Street food · Ordering. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.

Practise it free (2 min) See Unit 5

Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones