Why do you learn Thai? "Why?"-Questions in Thai
Two different ways to ask "Why?" in Thai.
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· published May 21, 2021
· last update June 16, 2021
General note: The examples in this article don't use polite particles, to keep them short. Please use polite particles in your everyday Thai. If you don't know how, read our article on Thai polite particles.
Why...? Because... in Thai
To ask "Why" in Thai, you use the word ทำไม why
See in Dictionary. For short questions, you usually put ทำไม why
See in Dictionary at the end, for longer questions at the beginning.
Answers ("because of ...") start with เพราะ because
See in Dictionary or เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionary.
See in Dictionary. For short questions, you usually put ทำไม why
See in Dictionary at the end, for longer questions at the beginning.
Answers ("because of ...") start with เพราะ because
See in Dictionary or เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionary.
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Examples
Q: Why do you learn Thai?
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryเรียน study
See in Dictionaryภาษา language
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary?
Literally: why? - you - learn - language - Thai
A: Because (I) am in Thailand
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionaryที่ at (for locations)
See in Dictionaryเมือง city
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - be - at - nation - Thai
Q: Why (do you) go?
ไป go; too
See in Dictionaryทำไม why
See in Dictionary?
Literally: go - why?
A: Because (I) am in Thailand
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionaryที่ at (for locations)
See in Dictionaryเมือง city
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - be - at - nation - Thai
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryเรียน study
See in Dictionaryภาษา language
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary?
Literally: why? - you - learn - language - Thai
A: Because (I) am in Thailand
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionaryที่ at (for locations)
See in Dictionaryเมือง city
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - be - at - nation - Thai
Q: Why (do you) go?
ไป go; too
See in Dictionaryทำไม why
See in Dictionary?
Literally: go - why?
A: Because (I) am in Thailand
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionaryที่ at (for locations)
See in Dictionaryเมือง city
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - be - at - nation - Thai
Why don't you...? in Thai
To say "Why don’t (you) ….?" in Thai, you use the patterns:
- ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryไม่ no, not
See in Dictionary...?
Literally: Why - you - not - ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryไม่ no, not
See in Dictionary...?
Literally: Why - not
But unlike in English, this is a real request for information (you want to know why) and not a suggestion ("You better do ...").
Q: Why don't you go shopping with me?
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryไป go; too
See in Dictionaryซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryของ of
See in Dictionaryกับ with
See in Dictionaryฉัน I (for women; informal)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: Why - you - not - go - buy - things - with - I
Q: Why don't you go shopping with me?
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryไป go; too
See in Dictionaryซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryของ of
See in Dictionaryกับ with
See in Dictionaryฉัน I (for women; informal)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: Why - you - not - go - buy - things - with - I
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ถึง - softening and "filling the gap"
ถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionary has multiple uses in questions with ทำไม why
See in Dictionary:
See in Dictionary has multiple uses in questions with ทำไม why
See in Dictionary:
- Sometimes, the question might sound a bit harsh to Thai speakers. To avoid that, you can use ถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionary to soften the question. - If ทำไม why
See in Dictionary is at the beginning, and the verb misses its object, this "gap" of the missing object can be filled by using ถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionary.
Example - filling the gap
Q: Why did (you) buy (it)??
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionaryซื้อ buy
See in Dictionary?
Literally: why? - softener - buy
A: Because (it was) cheap.
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryถูก cheap; correct; touch
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - cheap
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionaryซื้อ buy
See in Dictionary?
Literally: why? - softener - buy
A: Because (it was) cheap.
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryถูก cheap; correct; touch
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - cheap
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Example - softening
Q: Why didn't he eat (it)?
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionaryไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryกิน eat
See in Dictionary?
Literally: why? - he - softener - not - eat
A: Because (it was) too spicy.
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryเผ็ด spicy
See in Dictionaryไป go; too
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - spicy - too much
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionaryไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryกิน eat
See in Dictionary?
Literally: why? - he - softener - not - eat
A: Because (it was) too spicy.
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryเผ็ด spicy
See in Dictionaryไป go; too
See in Dictionary
Literally: because - spicy - too much
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Asking in response to a statement
To ask "Why?" in response to a statement, you use ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary.
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary.
Examples
A: (I) don't understand.
ไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryเข้าใจ understand
See in Dictionary?
Literally: not - understand
Q: Why?
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary
Literally: why? - pushing for an answer
ไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryเข้าใจ understand
See in Dictionary?
Literally: not - understand
Q: Why?
ทำไม why
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary
Literally: why? - pushing for an answer
เพราะอะไร - Because of what?
An alternative to ทำไม why
See in Dictionary is to use เพราะ because
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary. If it is used at the beginning of the question, it requires ถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionary.
The answers again start with เพราะ because
See in Dictionary or เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionary.
See in Dictionary is to use เพราะ because
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary. If it is used at the beginning of the question, it requires ถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionary.
The answers again start with เพราะ because
See in Dictionary or เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionary.
Examples
Q: Why do you love him?
เพราะ because
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionaryรัก love
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionary
Literally: Because - what? - you - softener - love - he
Q: Why do you love him?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryรัก love
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryเพราะ because
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary
Literally: you - love - he - because - what?
A: Because he is very handsome.
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryล่อ handsome (for men)
See in Dictionaryมาก very, a lot, many
See in Dictionary
Literally: Because - he - handsome - very
เพราะ because
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryถึง to, until; arrive
See in Dictionaryรัก love
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionary
Literally: Because - what? - you - softener - love - he
Q: Why do you love him?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryรัก love
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryเพราะ because
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary
Literally: you - love - he - because - what?
A: Because he is very handsome.
เพราะว่า because (answer to why?)
See in Dictionaryเขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryล่อ handsome (for men)
See in Dictionaryมาก very, a lot, many
See in Dictionary
Literally: Because - he - handsome - very