Whether in Thai

“Whether” in Thai is หรือไม่rǔue mâi.

หรือไม่ rǔue mâi

or not; whether (formal) phrase

rǔue rising
mâi falling

Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”

How to use it

หรือไม่rǔue mâi, "or not", at the end of a sentence makes a formal yes-or-no question, and after ว่าwâa it means "whether": ไม่แน่ใจว่าถูกหรือไม่mâi nâe-jai wâa tùuk rǔue mâi, I'm not sure whether it's right. Forms, surveys and the news use it.

In conversation Thais say หรือเปล่าrǔue bplàao or ไหมmǎi: ไปหรือเปล่าbpai rǔue bplàao, are you going or not?

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:

rue mai
reu mai
rhue mai
lue mai

More formal words in Thai

All formal words

การ gaan Kaan (prefix)
-ing, -tion: turns a verb into a noun (the act of …)
ความ kwaam Kwaam (prefix)
-ness (turns a verb or adjective into a noun)
ผู้ pûu Phu (prefix)
person (who …): makes words for people, like -er
นัก nák Nak (prefix)
-er, -ist: someone who does it (as a job or a passion)
ซึ่ง sûeng Who, which (formal)
which, who (adds information; formal, written)
เมื่อ mûea When (formal)
when, once (formal)

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