Thai grammar · with audio
Thai question words: what, where, who, when, why and how
What, where, who, when, why and how: put the question word where the answer goes.
Quick answer
The Thai question words are อะไรà-rai (what), ที่ไหนtîi-nǎi (where), ใครkrai (who), เมื่อไหร่mûea-rài (when), ทำไมtam-mai (why), ยังไงyang-ngai (how), ไหนnǎi (which), กี่gìi (how many) and เท่าไหร่tâo-rài (how much). Keep the statement's word order and put the question word where the answer goes, usually at the end: นี่อะไรnîi à-rai, what's this? For yes/no questions, add ไหมmǎi.
The question words
Learn these nine and you can ask almost anything. Each one has a dictionary page with more examples: tap a word in the table to open it.
| Thai | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| อะไรà-rai | what | นี่อะไรnîi à-rai What's this? |
| ที่ไหนtîi-nǎi | where | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhâwng-náam yùu tîi-nǎi Where's the toilet? |
| ใครkrai | who | นั่นใครnân krai Who's that? |
| เมื่อไหร่mûea-rài | when | กลับเมื่อไหร่glàp mûea-rài When are you going back? |
| ทำไมtam-mai | why | ทำไมไม่มาtam-mai mâi maa Why didn't you come? |
| ยังไงyang-ngai | how | ใช้ยังไงchái yang-ngai How do you use it? |
| ไหนnǎi | which | อันไหนan nǎi Which one? |
| กี่gìi | how many | กี่คนgìi kon How many people? |
| เท่าไหร่tâo-rài | how much | อันนี้เท่าไหร่an níi tâo-rài How much is this one? |
Put the question word where the answer goes
English moves the question word to the front. Thai doesn't: say the sentence as a statement and put the question word in the gap the answer will fill. That's the swimming pool is นั่นสระว่ายน้ำnân sà-wâai-náam, so what's that? is นั่นอะไรnân à-rai. The answer simply takes the question word's place.
That's why most Thai questions end with the question word. When the question is about the subject, it comes first, just as in English: ใครทำkrai tam, who made it?
- นั่น nânอะไร à-rai
What's that?
- ห้องน้ำ hâwng-náamอยู่ yùuที่ไหน tîi-nǎiครับ kráp
Where's the toilet?
Men ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนครับ Women ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนคะ
- คุณ kunชื่อ chûueอะไร à-raiครับ kráp
What's your name?
Men คุณชื่ออะไรครับ Women คุณชื่ออะไรคะ
- ร้าน ráanเปิด bpòetเมื่อไหร่ mûea-ràiครับ kráp
When does the shop open?
Men ร้านเปิดเมื่อไหร่ครับ Women ร้านเปิดเมื่อไหร่คะ
Why comes first
ทำไมtam-mai (why) is the exception: it usually starts the question, as in English. At the end of a sentence it often means what for?, which can sound more challenging.
- ทำไม tam-maiร้าน ráanปิด bpìt
Why is the shop closed?
- ทำไม tam-maiไม่ mâiกิน gin
Why aren't you eating?
How many, how much, which one
กี่gìi (how many) needs a counting word after it: กี่คนgìi kon (how many people?), กี่โมงgìi moong (what time?, literally how many o'clock?). For prices, เท่าไหร่tâo-rài goes at the end: อันนี้เท่าไหร่an níi tâo-rài.
ไหนnǎi after a noun or counting word means which: อันไหนan nǎi (which one?), ร้านไหนráan nǎi (which shop?). On its own it can also mean where, as in the everyday greeting ไปไหนbpai nǎi (where are you off to?).
- มี miiพี่น้อง pîi-náwngกี่ gìiคน kon
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
- อัน anนี้ níiเท่าไหร่ tâo-ràiครับ kráp
How much is this one?
Men อันนี้เท่าไหร่ครับ Women อันนี้เท่าไหร่คะ
- อัน anไหน nǎiดี diiที่สุด tîi-sùt
Which one is the best?
Yes/no questions: ไหมmǎi and friends
To ask a yes/no question, keep the statement and add an ending. ไหมmǎi is the neutral one, and each of the others adds a feeling.
There's no all-purpose yes or no to answer them. Repeat the verb or adjective, or put ไม่mâi in front of it: ชอบไหมchâwp mǎi gets ชอบchâwp or ไม่ชอบmâi châwp. Use ใช่châi (that's right) to confirm a fact.
| Ending | Use it to… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ไหมmǎi | ask neutrally | เผ็ดไหมpèt mǎi Is it spicy? |
| หรือเปล่าrǔue bplàao | check something you suspect | ไม่สบายหรือเปล่าmâi sà-baai rǔue bplàao Are you unwell? |
| ใช่ไหมchâi mǎi | confirm what you think | คุณเป็นคนไทยใช่ไหมkun bpen kon tai châi mǎi You're Thai, right? |
| หรือยังrǔue-yang | ask if something has happened yet | กินข้าวหรือยังgin kâao rǔue-yang Have you eaten yet? |
- เผ็ด pètไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Is it spicy?
Men เผ็ดไหมครับ Women เผ็ดไหมคะ
- กิน ginข้าว kâaoหรือยัง rǔue-yang
Have you eaten yet?
Common mistakes
What learners often say, and what Thais say instead.
อะไรนี่à-rai nîi
นี่ nîiอะไร à-raiWhat's this?
Don't move the question word to the front: it goes where the answer goes.
ใช่châi (as the answer to do you like it?)
ชอบ châwpมาก mâakYes, I love it. (I like it a lot.)
Answer a ไหมmǎi question with its verb: ชอบchâwp (yes) or ไม่ชอบmâi châwp (no). ใช่châi means that's right: it confirms facts and answers ใช่ไหมchâi mǎi questions.
เผ็ดไม่pèt mâi
เผ็ด pètไหม mǎiครับ krápIs it spicy?
Men เผ็ดไหมครับ Women เผ็ดไหมคะ
ไหมmǎi, with a rising tone, asks. ไม่mâi, with a falling tone, means not. And don't raise your voice at the end the English way: ไหมmǎi rises by itself.
More of it in the course
Other units that build on this pattern.
The words in the dictionary
Every word on this page has its own entry, with more examples and audio.
Question words: FAQ
How do you say 'what' in Thai?
อะไรà-rai. It goes where the answer goes, usually at the end: นี่อะไรnîi à-rai (what's this?), ทำอะไรอยู่tam à-rai yùu (what are you doing?). On its own, อะไรนะà-rai ná means sorry, what did you say?
How do you say 'why' in Thai?
ทำไมtam-mai, usually at the start: ทำไมร้านปิดtam-mai ráan bpìt (why is the shop closed?). Answer with เพราะpráw (because).
How do you say 'where' in Thai?
ที่ไหนtîi-nǎi, at the end: ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhâwng-náam yùu tîi-nǎi (where's the toilet?). In quick speech it's often just ไหนnǎi: ไปไหนbpai nǎi (where are you going?).
What does ไหม mean?
ไหมmǎi turns a statement into a yes/no question: เผ็ดpèt (it's spicy) becomes เผ็ดไหมpèt mǎi (is it spicy?). In chat it's often written มั้ยmái.
What is the difference between ไหน and ที่ไหน?
ที่ไหนtîi-nǎi always means where. ไหนnǎi means which after a noun or counting word (อันไหนan nǎi, which one?), and where in short questions like ไปไหนbpai nǎi.
Keep going
Grammar Thai sentence structure Subject, verb, object, like English: but describing words come after the noun, and verbs never change. 
Grammar Thai negation Not, isn't, didn't, can't, never and don't: one little word and the phrases built on it. 
Grammar Thai classifiers Noun, number, counting word: how Thais count people, animals, coffees and everything else. 
Grammar Thai particles Krap and ka, na, si, loei and the other little words that end a Thai sentence.