Shopping How to say “what is this?” in Thai
The short answer
What is this in Thai is นี่อะไรnîi à-rai, or a little fuller, อันนี้คืออะไรan níi kuue à-rai, "what is this one?". Add ครับkráp (men) or คะká (women) when you ask a vendor. To learn the Thai word for something, ask ภาษาไทยเรียกว่าอะไรpaa-sǎa tai rîak wâa à-rai, "what is it called in Thai?", the most useful question a learner can have.
“What is this?” in Thai
Tap a Thai word for its meaning
Men say
Women say
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones. No sign-up needed.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters, so you'll see นี่อะไรnîi à-rai spelled many ways. We write it with the tone of every syllable marked; online you'll also find:
- nee arai
- ni arai
- nii arai
- an nee arai
- an nee kue arai
- nee kue arai
- an ni khue arai
Other ways to say “what is this?”
- อัน anนี้ níiคือ kuueอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menอัน anนี้ níiคือ kuueอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what is this (one)?
Point as you ask: อันนี้an níi means 'this one'.
- นี่ nîiคือ kuueอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menนี่ nîiคือ kuueอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what is this?
A little more careful than นี่อะไรnîi à-rai.
- นั่น nânอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menนั่น nânอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what is that?
นั่นnân is 'that' (near you); โน่นnôon is 'that over there'.
- ภาษา paa-sǎaไทย taiเรียก rîakว่า wâaอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menภาษา paa-sǎaไทย taiเรียก rîakว่า wâaอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what is it called in Thai?
The learner's best friend.
- ภาษา paa-sǎaไทย taiพูด pûutว่า wâaอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menภาษา paa-sǎaไทย taiพูด pûutว่า wâaอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
how do you say it in Thai?
- แปล bplaeว่า wâaอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menแปล bplaeว่า wâaอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what does it mean?
For a word, a sign or a menu item.
- ทำ tamจาก jàakอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menทำ tamจาก jàakอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what is it made from?
Useful for allergies, food and souvenirs.
- ใช้ cháiทำ tamอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menใช้ cháiทำ tamอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
what is it for?
How to reply
- ทุเรียน tú-rian
(it's) durian
The answer is often just the name.
- ลอง lawngชิม chimดู duuไหม mǎi
want to try a taste?
Market vendors love to offer a taste.
- ไม่ mâiรู้ rúuเหมือน mǔeanกัน gan
I don't know either!
Even Thais don't know every fruit and herb.
Example sentences
- ผลไม้ pǒn-lá-máaiนี้ níiชื่อ chûueอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menผลไม้ pǒn-lá-máaiนี้ níiชื่อ chûueอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
What's this fruit called?
- จาน jaanนี้ níiเผ็ด pètไหม mǎiครับ kráp Menจาน jaanนี้ níiเผ็ด pètไหม mǎiคะ ká Women
Is this dish spicy?
- อัน anนี้ níiใส่ sàiอะไร à-raiบ้าง bâangครับ kráp Menอัน anนี้ níiใส่ sàiอะไร à-raiบ้าง bâangคะ ká Women
What's in this?
- คำ kamนี้ níiอ่าน àanว่า wâaอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menคำ kamนี้ níiอ่าน àanว่า wâaอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
How do you read this word?
Pointing and asking
นี่nîi means "this" and อะไรà-rai means "what"; Thai needs no "is". The question word sits where the answer will go, so the answer simply swaps it out: นี่อะไรnîi à-rai → นี่ทุเรียนnîi tú-rian, "this is durian". Point, ask, listen. คือkuue ("is, namely") makes the question a little more careful, and อันนี้an níi ("this one") is handy when you point at one item among many.
This, that and that over there
Thai has three distances: นี่nîi (this, near me), นั่นnân (that, near you) and โน่นnôon (that, over there). After a noun they change tone: จานนี้jaan níi (this dish), ร้านนั้นráan nán (that shop). That's why you hear both nîi and níi: falling on its own, high after a noun.
At the market and on the menu
Thai markets are full of things without English names: a dozen kinds of banana, curry pastes, herbs, sweets (ขนมkà-nǒm) in every colour. Ask อันนี้อะไรan níi à-rai, and vendors will usually tell you the name and often offer a taste: ลองชิมดูไหมlawng chim duu mǎi, "want to try?". If you have an allergy, follow up with ทำจากอะไรtam jàak à-rai ("what's it made from?") or ask directly about peanuts, ใส่ถั่วไหมsài tùa mǎi.
The learner's favourite question
ภาษาไทยเรียกว่าอะไรpaa-sǎa tai rîak wâa à-rai, "what is it called in Thai?", turns every conversation into a lesson. Thais love teaching their language and will happily repeat a word three times. Ask them to type it on your phone, and you can look it up later or save it in your word list.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the two "this" words: นี่nîi (falling) stands on its own, while นี้níi (high) follows a noun. So it's จานนี้jaan níi, not "jaan nîi".
- Using ไหนnǎi for "what". ไหนnǎi means "which" or "where": อันไหนan nǎi is "which one?".
- Forgetting to point. In a busy market, a finger (or your chin) on the item saves a lot of words.
Pronunciation
นี่nîi falls and is long; อะไรà-rai is low then mid. In fast speech อะไรà-rai shrinks to "a-rai" or even just "rai". Don't raise your voice at the end like an English question: Thai questions stay level, and the question word does the work.
What is this? in Thai: questions people ask
How do you say what is this in Thai?
นี่อะไรnîi à-rai or อันนี้คืออะไรan níi kuue à-rai, with ครับkráp (men) or คะká (women) for politeness.
How do you ask what something is called in Thai?
ภาษาไทยเรียกว่าอะไรpaa-sǎa tai rîak wâa à-rai, 'what is it called in Thai?'. Point at the thing as you ask.
How do you say what is that in Thai?
นั่นอะไรnân à-rai for something near the other person, โน่นอะไรnôon à-rai for something further away.
What does nee arai mean?
นี่อะไรnîi à-rai means 'what is this?'. นี่nîi is 'this' and อะไรà-rai is 'what'.
How do you say what does it mean in Thai?
แปลว่าอะไรbplae wâa à-rai, literally 'it translates as what?'. For a specific word: คำนี้แปลว่าอะไรkam níi bplae wâa à-rai.
Related phrases
- Phrase How to say “how much?” in Thai Ask how much in Thai: เท่าไหร่ (tao rai), how much is this, too expensive and can you lower the price, plus how to understand the answer in baht. With audio.
- Phrase How to say “I don't understand” in Thai Say I don't understand in Thai: ไม่เข้าใจ (mai khao jai), plus speak slowly, say that again and what does it mean, to keep any conversation going. With audio.
- Phrase How to say “do you speak English?” in Thai Ask do you speak English in Thai (พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม), say I speak a little Thai or I can't speak Thai, and learn how much English Thais speak. With audio.
- Phrase How to say “delicious” in Thai How to say delicious in Thai: อร่อย (aroi), อร่อยมาก, the famous aroi mak mak and Isan's แซ่บ, plus how to praise a cook and talk about taste. With audio.
- Phrase How to say “spicy” in Thai How to say spicy in Thai: เผ็ด (phet), not spicy (ไม่เผ็ด), a little and very spicy, plus how to order at street stalls and survive Thai chilli. With audio.
Learn this in Unit 6, free
Unit 6 · Questions, questions · Question words. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.
Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones