Significado
Asking about the time of an event.
Contexto cultural
Thais often use 'เมื่อไหร่' to show interest in someone's life, such as 'เมื่อไหร่จะแต่งงาน' (When will you get married?). While it might seem intrusive to Westerners, it is often a sign of care in Thai culture. In business, 'เมื่อไหร่' is becoming more strictly tied to deadlines. However, it is still polite to follow up a 'เมื่อไหร่' question with 'สะดวกไหม' (Is it convenient?) to maintain harmony (Kreng Jai). In the Isan dialect, you might hear 'ยามใด' (yam dai) instead of 'เมื่อไหร่'. It carries the same meaning but has a local flavor. On social media, 'เมื่อไหร่' is often used in memes to express longing, such as 'เมื่อไหร่จะวันศุกร์' (When will it be Friday?). The spelling is almost always 'เมื่อไหร่' rather than the formal 'เมื่อไร'.
The 'Whenever' Hack
Add 'ก็ได้' (kor dai) after 'เมื่อไหร่' to instantly say 'whenever is fine.' It's a lifesaver for making plans.
Clock vs. Calendar
If you want to know if someone is coming at 2 PM or 3 PM, use 'กี่โมง'. If you want to know if they are coming Monday or Tuesday, use 'เมื่อไหร่'.
Significado
Asking about the time of an event.
The 'Whenever' Hack
Add 'ก็ได้' (kor dai) after 'เมื่อไหร่' to instantly say 'whenever is fine.' It's a lifesaver for making plans.
Clock vs. Calendar
If you want to know if someone is coming at 2 PM or 3 PM, use 'กี่โมง'. If you want to know if they are coming Monday or Tuesday, use 'เมื่อไหร่'.
Politeness is Key
Always end your question with 'krap' or 'ka'. A bare 'เมื่อไหร่' can sound like you are angry or demanding.
Spelling Secret
If you are writing a formal email, double-check that you use 'เมื่อไร' (no tone mark). It makes you look very educated.
Ponte a prueba
Choose the most natural way to ask 'When will you go?'
How do you say 'When will you go?' in Thai?
The subject (คุณ) comes first, followed by the future marker (จะ), the verb (ไป), and finally the question word (เมื่อไหร่).
Complete the sentence to mean 'Whenever is fine.'
_______ ก็ได้ (_______ kor dai)
'เมื่อไหร่ก็ได้' is the standard phrase for 'whenever is fine/okay.'
Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.
A: เราจะเจอกัน_______ดีครับ B: พรุ่งนี้ตอนเที่ยงครับ
Since the answer is a time (tomorrow at noon), the question must be 'when' (เมื่อไหร่).
Match the Thai phrase to the correct situation.
Which phrase would you use to ask a friend when they bought their new car?
'ซื้อรถใหม่เมื่อไหร่' literally means 'Buy car new when?'
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosHow do you say 'When will you go?' in Thai?
The subject (คุณ) comes first, followed by the future marker (จะ), the verb (ไป), and finally the question word (เมื่อไหร่).
_______ ก็ได้ (_______ kor dai)
'เมื่อไหร่ก็ได้' is the standard phrase for 'whenever is fine/okay.'
A: เราจะเจอกัน_______ดีครับ B: พรุ่งนี้ตอนเที่ยงครับ
Since the answer is a time (tomorrow at noon), the question must be 'when' (เมื่อไหร่).
Which phrase would you use to ask a friend when they bought their new car?
'ซื้อรถใหม่เมื่อไหร่' literally means 'Buy car new when?'
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
12 preguntasเมื่อไร is the formal/dictionary spelling. เมื่อไหร่ is the spoken/informal spelling. They mean the same thing.
Yes, but it's usually for emphasis or to show impatience. For standard questions, put it at the end.
Use 'ตั้งแต่เมื่อไหร่' (tang-tae muea-rai).
Both! Context or words like 'จะ' (will) or 'แล้ว' (already) tell you the tense.
'ตอนไหน' (ton nai) is a more casual version of 'when', often used for times within the same day.
วันเกิดของคุณคือเมื่อไหร่ (Wan koet khong khun khue muea-rai).
No, the word stays the same. Only the final particle (krap/ka) changes.
Yes, in phrases like 'ว่างเมื่อไหร่บอกนะ' (Tell me when/sometime you are free).
This is a common pattern to ask 'When will [something happen]?' often implying it's taking a long time.
Not a specific slang word, but 'เมื่อไหร่' is often shortened to 'เมื่อไหร่เนี่ย' (muea-rai nia) in casual speech.
จนถึงเมื่อไหร่ (jon thueng muea-rai).
Yes, but use the formal 'เมื่อไร' if writing, and always add 'krap/ka' when speaking.
Frases relacionadas
ตอนไหน
similarWhich part/moment
เมื่อใด
specialized formWhen (formal)
ตั้งแต่เมื่อไหร่
builds onSince when
อีกนานไหม
similarHow much longer?
วันไหน
specialized formWhich day
กี่โมง
contrastWhat time (clock)
