Modifying Questions
Asking for recommendations, pushing for details, counter-questions and indirect questions
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· published June 3, 2021
· last update June 16, 2021
4 ways to modify questions
In this article we will deal with three ways to modify your questions:
- Asking for recommendations with ดี good
See in Dictionary - Pushing for details with บ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary - Counter question or pushing for an answer with ล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary - Forming indirect questions (E.g. "he asked if...?")
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Asking for recommendations
To ask for recommendations, we use the following pattern:
- [question] + ดี good
See in Dictionary?
Examples
Q: What shall (I/we) buy?
ซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryดี good
See in Dictionary?
Literally: buy - what - good
ซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryดี good
See in Dictionary?
Literally: buy - what - good
Q: When shall (I/we) go?
ไป go; too
See in Dictionaryเมื่อไหร่ when?
See in Dictionaryดี good
See in Dictionary?
Literally: go - when - good
Q: What shall (I/we) do?
ทำ do, make, cook
See in Dictionaryอย่างไร How ?
See in Dictionaryดี good
See in Dictionary?
Literally: do - how - good
Q: How shall (I) say (it)?
พูด speak, talk
See in Dictionaryอย่างไร How ?
See in Dictionaryดี good
See in Dictionary?
Literally: say - how - good
Pushing for details
If you use บ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary at the end of a question, it pushes for a more detailed answer. This means the answer should consisting of multiple items, not only a single one. To illustrate this, in English a similar question would be "What activities do you like?" vs. "What activity do you like?".
Here is the question pattern:
See in Dictionary at the end of a question, it pushes for a more detailed answer. This means the answer should consisting of multiple items, not only a single one. To illustrate this, in English a similar question would be "What activities do you like?" vs. "What activity do you like?".
Here is the question pattern:
- [question] + บ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
One way to answer it to list the objects in the following pattern:
- [object 1] [object 2] และก็ and then
See in Dictionary [object 3].
Examples
Q: What (did you) buy?
ซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryบ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: buy - what? - plural
ซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryบ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: buy - what? - plural
A: Vegetables, chicken and pork.
ผัก vegetable
See in Dictionaryไก่ chicken
See in Dictionaryและก็ and then
See in Dictionaryหมู pig; pork
See in Dictionary
Literally: vegetables - chicken - and - pork
Q: Where did you go for vacation?
ผัก vegetable
See in Dictionaryไก่ chicken
See in Dictionaryและก็ and then
See in Dictionaryหมู pig; pork
See in Dictionary
Literally: vegetables - chicken - and - pork
Q: Where did you go for vacation?
ไป go; too
See in Dictionaryเที่ยว travel; trip, vacation, holiday
See in Dictionaryที่ at (for locations)
See in Dictionaryไหน where; which
See in Dictionaryบ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: go - vacation - at - where? - plural
A: Phuket, Krabi and Trang. (3 provinces in Thailand)
ภูเก็ต Phuket
See in Dictionaryกระบี่ Krabi (province in southern Thailand)
See in Dictionaryและก็ and then
See in Dictionaryตรัง Trang (a province in southern Thailand)
See in Dictionary
Literally: Phuket - Krabi - and - Trang
See in Dictionaryเที่ยว travel; trip, vacation, holiday
See in Dictionaryที่ at (for locations)
See in Dictionaryไหน where; which
See in Dictionaryบ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: go - vacation - at - where? - plural
A: Phuket, Krabi and Trang. (3 provinces in Thailand)
ภูเก็ต Phuket
See in Dictionaryกระบี่ Krabi (province in southern Thailand)
See in Dictionaryและก็ and then
See in Dictionaryตรัง Trang (a province in southern Thailand)
See in Dictionary
Literally: Phuket - Krabi - and - Trang
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Video explanation
Here is an explanation from youtube:
Asking back/pushing for an answer
In Thai, the word ล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary at the end is often used in these situations:
See in Dictionary at the end is often used in these situations:
- asking a counter-question (e.g. "And how about ...?")
- pushing for an answer in a conversation. It also makes the question sound more friendly.
The question uses the following pattern:
- [question] + ล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary
Examples (counter-question)
The best-known example is asking "And (how about) you?" after you told someone you are fine:
Q: How are you? (spoken Thai, informal)
เป็น be, is, am, are
See in Dictionaryไง how; as a response, when the responder thinks the statement is obvious/self-evident
See in Dictionaryบ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: be - how? - request
Q: How are you? (spoken Thai, informal)
เป็น be, is, am, are
See in Dictionaryไง how; as a response, when the responder thinks the statement is obvious/self-evident
See in Dictionaryบ้าง (to some extend) (in questions: the speaker would like to know more than one things that happened)
See in Dictionary?
Literally: be - how? - request
A: I am fine. And how about you?
สบายดี fine
See in Dictionaryครับ polite word for men
See in Dictionary.แล้ว already; and, so
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionaryครับ polite word for men
See in Dictionary?
สบายดี fine
See in Dictionaryครับ polite word for men
See in Dictionary.แล้ว already; and, so
See in Dictionaryคุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionaryครับ polite word for men
See in Dictionary?
Literally: fine - polite - and - you - how about - polite
More examples
Q: And what about (your) friend?
แล้ว already; and, so
See in Dictionaryเพื่อน friend
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary?
Literally: and - friend - how about
Q: And how about tomorrow?
แล้ว already; and, so
See in Dictionaryพรุ่งนี้ tomorrow
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary?
Literally: and - tomorrow - how about
More examples
Q: And what about (your) friend?
แล้ว already; and, so
See in Dictionaryเพื่อน friend
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary?
Literally: and - friend - how about
Q: And how about tomorrow?
แล้ว already; and, so
See in Dictionaryพรุ่งนี้ tomorrow
See in Dictionaryล่ะ in a question: pushing for an answer; in a statement: indicates mild irritation
See in Dictionary?
Literally: and - tomorrow - how about
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Example (pushing for an answer)
Conversation between person A and person B:
A: I am not going.
ไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryไป go; too
See in Dictionary
Literally: no - go
B: 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
A: I am not going.
ไม่ no, not
See in Dictionaryไป go; too
See in Dictionary
Literally: no - go
B: 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
Indirect questions
The patterns for indirect questions are:
- [subject] ถาม ask
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionary [question] - [subject] ถาม ask
See in Dictionary [object] ว่า that
See in Dictionary [question]
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Example 1
Direct question:
Will (you) return tonight?
จะ will (in the future)
See in Dictionaryกลับ return, go back
See in Dictionaryคืนนี้ tonight
See in Dictionaryไหม yes/no question
See in Dictionary
Literally: will - return - tonight - question
Indirect question:
He asked, "will (you) return tonight?" / He asked if (I) will return tonight.
เขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryถาม ask
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryจะ will (in the future)
See in Dictionaryกลับ return, go back
See in Dictionaryคืนนี้ tonight
See in Dictionaryไหม yes/no question
See in Dictionary
Literally: he - ask - that - will - return - tonight - question
Will (you) return tonight?
จะ will (in the future)
See in Dictionaryกลับ return, go back
See in Dictionaryคืนนี้ tonight
See in Dictionaryไหม yes/no question
See in Dictionary
Literally: will - return - tonight - question
Indirect question:
He asked, "will (you) return tonight?" / He asked if (I) will return tonight.
เขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryถาม ask
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryจะ will (in the future)
See in Dictionaryกลับ return, go back
See in Dictionaryคืนนี้ tonight
See in Dictionaryไหม yes/no question
See in Dictionary
Literally: he - ask - that - will - return - tonight - question
Example 2
Direct question:
Do (you) have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
มี have, own; include
See in Dictionaryแฟน boyfriend / girlfriend
See in Dictionaryหรือยัง or not? (formal)
See in Dictionary
Literally: have - girlfriend/boyfriend - or not?
Indirect question:
He asked her, "do (you) have a girlfriend/boyfriend?" He asked her if (she) has a girlfriend/boyfriend.
เขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryถาม ask
See in Dictionaryเธอ she; you
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryมี have, own; include
See in Dictionaryแฟน boyfriend / girlfriend
See in Dictionaryหรือยัง or not? (formal)
See in Dictionary
Literally: he - ask - she - that - have - girlfriend/boyfriend - or not?
Do (you) have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
มี have, own; include
See in Dictionaryแฟน boyfriend / girlfriend
See in Dictionaryหรือยัง or not? (formal)
See in Dictionary
Literally: have - girlfriend/boyfriend - or not?
Indirect question:
He asked her, "do (you) have a girlfriend/boyfriend?" He asked her if (she) has a girlfriend/boyfriend.
เขา he; she, they
See in Dictionaryถาม ask
See in Dictionaryเธอ she; you
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryมี have, own; include
See in Dictionaryแฟน boyfriend / girlfriend
See in Dictionaryหรือยัง or not? (formal)
See in Dictionary
Literally: he - ask - she - that - have - girlfriend/boyfriend - or not?