When delving into the nuances of Thai grammar, it’s essential to explore the concept of interrogative adjectives. These linguistic elements play a pivotal role in posing questions within the Thai language. This article will examine the primary interrogative adjectives in Thai, their usage, and examples to help you gain a robust understanding of their application in everyday conversations.
Interrogative adjectives in Thai grammar can be categorized into three main types:
These interrogative adjectives enable the formulation of specific questions regarding attributes, qualities, or quantities of a particular subject.
To use interrogative adjectives effectively in Thai grammar, it’s crucial to grasp their proper placement and functions within sentences.
The Thai interrogative adjective for ‘which’ is เธญเธฐเนเธฃ (รก-rai). It serves to inquire about a particular object or subject. In most cases, it comes at the end of a sentence. Note that เธญเธฐเนเธฃ (รก-rai) also translates to ‘what,’ but its usage here is limited to asking about objects or subjects, excluding abstract ideas.
Example:
เธชเธกเธธเธเธเธตเนเธซเธฃเธทเธญเธชเธกเธธเธเธเธฑเนเธเนเธเนเธเธเธญเธเธญเธฐเนเธฃ (sร -mรนt nรญi rวue sร -mรนt nรกn bpen kวrng รก-rai)
Translation: Which notebook is this, this one or that one?
The interrogative adjective for ‘what kind’ in Thai is เธขเธฑเธเนเธ (yang-ngai). It is utilized when inquiring about the characteristics or qualities of a subject, such as appearance, texture, or color. Usually, it is placed at the end of a sentence.
Example:
เธเนเธฒเธงเธซเธญเธกเธกเธฐเธฅเธดเธกเธตเธฃเธชเธเธฒเธเธดเธขเธฑเธเนเธ (kรขao hวm mรก-lรญ mii rรณt-chรขat yang-ngai)
Translation: What kind of taste does jasmine rice have?
When questioning quantities or amounts in Thai, the interrogative adjective เธเธตเน (gรฌ) is used. Following the noun in question, it assists in collecting numerical information in various contexts.
Example:
เธเนเธฒเธเธเธธเธเธญเธขเธนเนเธซเนเธฒเธเธเธฒเธเธเธตเนเธเธตเนเธเธตเนเธเธดเนเธฅเนเธกเธเธฃ (bรขan kun yรฒo hร ang jร ak tรฎi nรฎi gรฌ gรฌ-loo-meet)
Translation: How many kilometers is your house from here?
Acquiring a deep understanding of the usage and application of interrogative adjectives in Thai grammar is fundamental to forming seamless questions in the language. By becoming proficient in their usage and placement within sentences, you’ll unlock the potential to engage in more engaging, informative, and responsive conversations.
Talkpal is AI-powered language tutor. Learn 57+ languages 5x faster with revolutionary technology.
