When in the Thai Language
The question word mûa rài?(When?) normally occurs at the end of a sentence; a time expression alone is often sufficient answer, but this may be preceded by a verb:
Q: เขาจะกลับมาเมื่อไร(Káo jà glàp maa mûa-rài?) When will he/she be back?
A: เขาจะกลับมาตอนบ่าย(Káo jà glàp maa dtɔɔn bàay.) He/She’ll be back in the afternoon.
Q: เขาโทรมาเมื่อไร(Káo too maa mûa-rài?) When did he/she ring?
A: เขาโทรมาตอนเช้า(Káo too maa dtɔɔn cháo) (He/She rang) in the morning.
mûa-rài? may also occur at the beginning of a sentence, often to convey a sense of urgency or irritation:
- เมื่อไรเขาจะกลับมา(mûa-rài káo jà glàp maa?) When will he/she be back?
- เมื่อไรเขาจะโทรมา(mûa-rài káo jà too maa?) When is he/she going to ring?
- เมื่อไรคุณจะบอกเขา(mûa-rài kun jà bɔ̀ɔk káo?) When are you going to tell him/her?
Want help and are serious about learning Thai – then please contact us. We can help teach you Thai Online wherever you are. Our programs are very flexible to fit in with your availability and learning requirements in addition to being open for one year.
By Prae
Thai Language Teacher
