The five Ws in a Language are the question words for who, what, when, where, and why. These are everyday words you will always use to gather information.
In Thai, question words are usually placed in the back of sentences (but not always). Below I will show you examples of each so you get a feeling of how its used.
Let’s learn how to say the five Ws in Thai as well as the word for How and which in Thai.
Who?
Who in Thai is ใคร (krai). Let’s see some examples:
Examples
- Who drank my water from the fridge?
ใครดื่มน้ำฉันในตู้เย็น?
krai dèum náam chăn nai dtôo yen - Who are you?
คุณคือใคร?
kun keu krai - Who won the competition?
ใครชนะการแข่งขัน?
krai chá-ná gaan kàeng kăn - Who are you coming with?
จะมากับใคร
jà maa gàp krai - Who do you like?
คุณชอบใคร
kun chôp krai
As you can see sometimes ใคร is at the start and other times in the end. It totally depends on the sentence, there is no hard rule so you kind of just have to get used to it until it becomes natural which one to use.
What
What in Thai is อะไร (à-rai). Let’s see some examples:
Examples
- What is that under the table?
ใต้โต๊ะมีอะไร?
dtâi dtó mee à-rai - What did you eat last night?
เมื่อคืนกินอะไร
mêua keun gin à-rai - What’s the cat’s name?
แมวชื่ออะไร
maew chêu à-rai
When
To ask when in Thai it’s เมื่อไหร่ (mêua rài). Let’s see some examples.
Examples
- When are you going home?
คุณจะกลับบ้านเมื่อไหร่?
kun jà glàp bâan mêua rài - When is the game starting?
เกมจะเริ่มเมื่อไหร่
gaym jà rêrm mêua rài - When was her birthday?
วันเกิดของเธอเมื่อไหร่
wan gèrt kŏng ter mêua rài
If you want to learn all the ways to say “when” please read my article.
Why
Why is Thai is ทำไม (tam-mai). Sometimes you will also see ทำไม…ถึง (tam-mai…tĕung). Let’s see some examples:
Examples
- Why did he get angry?
ทำไมเขาโกรธ?
tam-mai kăo gròht - Why didn’t you come to my house?
ทำไมคุณไม่ได้มาบ้านฉัน
tam-mai kun mâi dâai maa bâan chăn - Why was our neighbor arrested?
ทำไมเพื่อนบ้านของเราถึงถูกจับ?
tam-mai pêuan bâan kŏng rao tĕung tòok jàp - Why do you play with him?
คุณเล่นกับเขาทำไม
kun lâyn gàp kăo tam-mai
Like who, the question word “why” can also either be in the front or the back of the sentence.
Where
To ask “Where” in Thai is ที่ไหน, อยู่ไหน, or ตรงไหน (têe năi , yòo năi or dtrong năi). The one you use depends on the situation.
Examples:
- Where is the dog?
หมาอยู่ไหน?
măa yòo năi - Where did he move to?
เขาย้ายไปอยู่ที่ไหน
kăo yáai bpai yòo têe năi - Where is your house located?
บ้านของคุณอยู่ที่ไหน
bâan kŏng kun yòo têe năi - Where should we park?
จอดตรงไหน
jòt dtrong năi
How
How in Thai is อย่างไร (yàang rai) or more colloquially ยังไง (yang ngai). Let’s see some examples.
Examples
- How did he win that game?
เขาชนะเกมนั้นได้อย่างไร
kăo chá-ná gaym-nán dâai yàang rai - How can you eat that much food?
คุณกินอาหารมากขนาดนั้นได้อย่างไร?
kun gin aa-hăan mâak kà-nàat nán dâai yàang rai
To see how to ask different kind of “how” questions such as “how much”, “how long”, etc. Please see my article on asking “how” questions in Thai.
Which
Another useful question word is which. Which in Thai is ไหน năi. Let’s see some examples.
Examples
- Which country is your favorite?
คุณชอบประเทศไหน
kun chôp bprà-tâyt năi - Who will you choose?
จะเลือกคนไหน
jà lêuak kon năi - Which person do you like the most?
คุณชอบคนไหนมากที่สุด?
kun chôp kon năi mâak têe sùt
You now how to ask question words / five Ws in Thai and should be able to ask so many questions.