A1 Word Order 3 min read Easy

Thai Question Order (In-situ)

In Thai, keep the question word exactly where the answer would be in a normal sentence.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

To turn a statement into a question in Thai, simply add the particle 'ไหม' (mai) at the very end of your sentence.

  • Place 'ไหม' at the end of a statement: คุณหิวไหม? (Are you hungry?)
  • Do not change the word order of the original sentence: คุณไปไหม? (Are you going?)
  • Use 'ไหม' for yes/no questions only, not for 'who', 'what', or 'where' questions.
Statement + ไหม = Question?

Overview

Ever wondered why your Thai sentences sound like a broken Google Translate bot? It is all about where you put those question words. In English, you move the question word to the front like a VIP guest. In Thai, you treat question words like they are already sitting in their favorite seat. You do not move them. You just swap the unknown information with the question word. Simple, right?

How This Grammar Works

Thai uses 'in-situ' questioning. This means the question word stays exactly where the answer would go. If you want to ask 'Who is eating?', you say 'Who is eating?'. If you want to ask 'What are you eating?', you say 'You eat what?'. Imagine you are filling out a form on an app. The question word is just a placeholder waiting for the data to be typed in. No scrambling, no flipping, no headache.

Formation Pattern

1
Start with the subject (or skip it if it is obvious).
2
Add the verb or adjective.
3
Place the question word (mai, arai, khrai) right where the answer belongs.
4
Add a polite particle like khrap or kha at the end to sound like a decent human being.

When To Use It

Use this anytime you need info. Whether you are DMing a crush on Instagram, asking a waiter for the menu, or trying to find your gate at Suvarnabhumi Airport. It works for everything. Just remember: keep it in the spot where the answer goes. If the answer is 'Pizza', and you ask 'You eat what?', the word 'what' stays right after 'eat'.

Common Mistakes

Don't pull a 'Google Translate' move. Do not move the question word to the front of the sentence. Avoid saying 'What you eat?' because that sounds like a caveman trying to order food on UberEats. Also, don't forget the polite particles. Without them, you might sound like you are barking orders at your friends.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

English forces you to change the word order (e.g., 'You are going' vs. 'Where are you going?'). Thai keeps the structure identical. Think of it like a fixed template. The skeleton of the sentence never changes. Only the content inside the placeholder changes. It is the ultimate life hack for lazy language learners.

Quick FAQ

Q

Do I need to change my tone? A: Yes, raise your pitch slightly at the end for Yes/No questions. Q: Can I put the question word at the start? A: Only if you want to sound like a very confused poet. Stick to the standard order!

3. Question Formation

Statement Particle Question
คุณไป
ไหม
คุณไปไหม?
เขาหิว
ไหม
เขาหิวไหม?
ชอบ
ไหม
ชอบไหม?
จะมา
ไหม
จะมาไหม?
กินข้าว
ไหม
กินข้าวไหม?
เข้าใจ
ไหม
เข้าใจไหม?

Meanings

The particle 'ไหม' acts as a universal question marker for yes/no inquiries, placed at the end of a declarative sentence.

1

Yes/No Question Marker

Used to solicit a confirmation or denial.

“คุณสบายดีไหม?”

“เขาไปทำงานไหม?”

Reference Table

Reference table for Thai Question Order (In-situ)
Question Word Meaning Thai Term
Who
khrai
ใคร
What
arai
อะไร
Where
thii-nai
ที่ไหน
When
muea-rai
เมื่อไหร่
Why
thammai
ทำไม
How
yang-rai
อย่างไร

Formality Spectrum

Formal
คุณจะไปไหมครับ?

คุณจะไปไหมครับ? (Asking a friend to go out.)

Neutral
คุณไปไหม?

คุณไปไหม? (Asking a friend to go out.)

Informal
ไปไหม?

ไปไหม? (Asking a friend to go out.)

Slang
ไปป่ะ?

ไปป่ะ? (Asking a friend to go out.)

The Question Slot

Sentence

Fillers

  • arai what

English vs Thai

English
What are you doing? Front shifted
Thai
Khun tham arai? In-situ

Question Logic

1

Is it a Yes/No question?

YES
Add 'mai' at end
NO
Use question word

Question Words

❓

Who/What/Where

  • • khrai
  • • arai
  • • thii-nai
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Examples by Level

1

คุณหิวไหม?

Are you hungry?

2

ไปไหม?

Are you going?

3

ชอบไหม?

Do you like it?

4

เข้าใจไหม?

Do you understand?

1

คุณจะไปเที่ยวไหม?

Are you going to travel?

2

เขาไม่กินข้าวไหม?

Doesn't he eat rice?

3

วันนี้อากาศดีไหม?

Is the weather good today?

4

คุณมีเวลาไหม?

Do you have time?

1

คุณอยากจะลองชิมไหมครับ?

Would you like to try tasting it?

2

เรื่องนี้คุณรู้ไหม?

Do you know about this matter?

3

เขาจะมาถึงกี่โมง คุณทราบไหม?

Do you know what time he will arrive?

4

คุณเคยไปที่นั่นไหม?

Have you ever been there?

1

คุณคิดว่าแผนนี้จะสำเร็จไหม?

Do you think this plan will succeed?

2

คุณไม่เห็นด้วยกับเขาไหม?

Don't you agree with him?

3

การตัดสินใจครั้งนี้เหมาะสมไหม?

Is this decision appropriate?

4

คุณพอจะช่วยผมได้ไหม?

Could you possibly help me?

1

คุณตระหนักถึงผลกระทบที่จะตามมาไหม?

Are you aware of the consequences that will follow?

2

คุณไม่คิดว่ามันสายเกินไปไหม?

Don't you think it's too late?

3

คุณพร้อมที่จะเผชิญกับความท้าทายนี้ไหม?

Are you ready to face this challenge?

4

คุณได้พิจารณาทางเลือกอื่นแล้วไหม?

Have you considered other options?

1

คุณไม่เห็นหรือว่าสถานการณ์นี้มันซับซ้อนเกินกว่าจะแก้ไขได้ไหม?

Don't you see that this situation is too complex to solve?

2

คุณมั่นใจไหมว่าข้อมูลนี้ถูกต้องแม่นยำ?

Are you certain that this information is accurate?

3

คุณไม่รู้สึกถึงความเปลี่ยนแปลงที่กำลังเกิดขึ้นไหม?

Don't you feel the changes that are happening?

4

คุณจะยืนหยัดในหลักการของคุณไหมแม้ในยามยากลำบาก?

Will you stand by your principles even in difficult times?

Easily Confused

Thai Question Order (In-situ) vs ไหม vs หรือ

Both are used in questions, but 'ไหม' is for yes/no, 'หรือ' is for choices.

Thai Question Order (In-situ) vs ไหม vs หรือเปล่า

Both are yes/no, but 'หรือเปล่า' is more emphatic.

Thai Question Order (In-situ) vs ไหม vs นะ

Both are particles, but 'นะ' is for emphasis/softening.

Common Mistakes

✗

ไหม คุณไป?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Particle must be at the end.
✗

คุณไปอะไร?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Wrong particle for yes/no.
✗

คุณไปไหมหรือ?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Redundant particles.
✗

ไปไหมคุณ?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Subject should be first.
✗

ใครไปไหม?

✓

ใครไป?

Don't use 'ไหม' with 'who'.
✗

คุณไปไหมครับ/ค่ะ?

✓

คุณไปไหมครับ/ค่ะ?

Actually correct, but watch tone.
✗

คุณไม่ไปไหม?

✓

คุณไม่ไปหรือ?

Contextual nuance.
✗

คุณจะไปไหมหรือเปล่า?

✓

คุณจะไปไหม?

Redundant.
✗

ไปไหม?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Subject drop is okay but context matters.
✗

คุณไปไหมครับไหม?

✓

คุณไปไหมครับ?

Double particle.
✗

คุณไปไหมล่ะ?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Nuance of 'la' is different.
✗

คุณไปไหมนะ?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Self-questioning vs. asking.
✗

คุณไปไหมหรือว่า?

✓

คุณไปไหม?

Conjunction error.

Sentence Patterns

คุณ ___ ไหม?

วันนี้ ___ ไหม?

คุณอยาก ___ ไหม?

คุณคิดว่า ___ ไหม?

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

เอาเผ็ดไหม?

Texting very common

ถึงยังไหม?

Job interview common

คุณมีคำถามไหมครับ?

Travel common

ไปสนามบินไหม?

Social media common

ใครไปบ้างไหม?

Delivery apps common

รับช้อนไหม?

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💡

Don't Overthink

Just treat the question word like a normal noun.

Smart Tips

Always put 'ไหม' at the end.

ไหมคุณไป? → คุณไปไหม?

Don't use 'ไหม'.

ใครไปไหม? → ใครไป?

Add 'ครับ/ค่ะ'.

ไปไหม? → ไปไหมครับ?

Use 'หรือเปล่า'.

เขามาไหม? → เขามาหรือเปล่า?

Pronunciation

mai (rising)

Rising Tone

The particle 'ไหม' has a rising tone, which naturally lifts the pitch at the end of the sentence.

Question Intonation

Sentence + ไหม (rising pitch)

Signals a request for information.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Mai is the guy who ends the question.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant question mark made of the Thai letter 'ไหม' at the end of every sentence you speak.

Rhyme

To make a question, don't be shy, just put at the end a 'mai'.

Story

A tourist goes to Thailand. He wants to know if the bus is coming. He says 'Bus come'. The local smiles and says 'Add mai!'. He says 'Bus come mai?'. The local nods.

Word Web

ไหมถามตอบใช่ไม่หรือ

Challenge

Ask 5 people today 'สบายดีไหม?' (How are you?)

Cultural Notes

Standard usage, very polite when combined with 'ครับ' or 'ค่ะ'.

Often uses 'ก่อ' instead of 'ไหม'.

Uses 'บ่' at the end.

The particle 'ไหม' is a grammaticalized form of the verb 'to be' or 'to exist' in older Thai.

Conversation Starters

“

คุณหิวไหม?

“

คุณสบายดีไหม?

“

คุณชอบดูหนังไหม?

“

คุณเคยไปเชียงใหม่ไหม?

Journal Prompts

Write 5 questions you would ask a new friend.
Describe a day and ask yourself questions about it.
Write a dialogue between a customer and a waiter.
Reflect on a decision and ask if it was right.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank

Khun pai ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: thii-nai
You are asking about a location, so use 'where' (thii-nai).
Which sentence is correct? Multiple Choice

Choose the correct question:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khun chue arai?
Question words stay at the end or in the answer slot.

Score: /2

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Add the correct particle.

คุณหิว___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ไหม
It is a question.
Which is a correct question? Multiple Choice

Select one:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: คุณไปไหม?
Correct word order.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

ใครไปไหม?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ใครไป?
Don't use 'ไหม' with 'who'.
Make this a question. Sentence Transformation

เขาชอบแมว

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: เขาชอบแมวไหม?
Add 'ไหม' at the end.
Is this true? True False Rule

Can you use 'ไหม' for 'what'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Use 'อะไร' for what.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: คุณสบายดีไหม? B: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: สบายดี
Standard answer.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

คุณ / ไป / ไหม / ตลาด

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: คุณไปตลาดไหม?
Subject-Verb-Object-Particle.
Match the question to the answer. Match Pairs

คุณหิวไหม?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: หิว
Matches the verb.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

1 exercises
Fix the sentence Error Correction

Khrai khun hen?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khun hen khrai?

Score: /1

FAQ (8)

Only for yes/no questions.

Always at the very end.

It is neutral.

Check your word order.

Yes, very similar.

Yes, it is essential.

Yes, 'ไหมครับ' is perfect.

People might not know you are asking a question.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Japanese high

ka

Japanese 'ka' is often omitted in casual speech, while 'ไหม' is more persistent.

Chinese high

ma

Thai 'ไหม' has a specific rising tone, while Mandarin 'ma' is neutral.

Spanish low

None

Spanish relies on syntax and punctuation.

French low

est-ce que

Thai is suffix-based, French is prefix-based.

German low

None

German changes word order.

Arabic low

hal

Arabic is prefix-based.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Asking Yes/No Questions in Thai (ไหม)

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