To ask if something can be done we use the same sentence as we did with dâi, but we add the question word măi on the end.
… dâi măi? · can …?
In whichever form dâi is used, it comes at the end of the sentence.
| he can go | khăo bpai dâi |
| he cannot go | khăo bpai mâi dâi |
| can he go? | khăo bpai dâi măi? |
| she can come | ther maa dâi |
| she cannot come | ther maa mâi dâi |
| can she come? | ther maa dâi măi? |
Once again, we’ll use the same examples but as questions this time. We’ll see how to answers dâi măi questions after the videos.
phŏm bpai dâi măi?
can I go?
ther maa dâi măi?
can she come?
chăn phûud phaa-săa ang-grìd dâi măi?
can I speak English?
Peter phûud phaa-săa thai dâi măi?
can Peter speak Thai?
khun gin gàp phûuak rao dâi măi?
can you eat with us?
phŏm tham dâi măi?
can I do it?
khăo nâng gàp phûuak rao dâi măi?
can he sit with us?
Answering dâi măi questions
dâi măi questions are answered using either dâi or mâi dâi. It is also acceptable to say the verb along with dâi or mâi dâi, like this:
| question | yes 1 | no 1 | yes 2 | no 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| phŏm bpai dâi măi? | dâi | mâi dâi | bpai dâi | bpai mâi dâi |
| ther raw dâi măi? | dâi | mâi dâi | raw dâi | raw mâi dâi |
| khun gin thêe nêe dâi măi? | dâi | mâi dâi | gin dâi | gin mâi dâi |
| khăo maa phuu-gèd dâi măi? | dâi | mâi dâi | maa dâi | maa mâi dâi |
Exercise 12
| 1 | can we wait for you here? |
| 2 | can you speak English? |
| 3 | can Peter read Thai? |
| 4 | can we sit here? |
| 5 | can I swim here? |
| 6 | can you go there? |
| 7 | can I go with you? |
| 8 | can Peter and Jane speak Thai? |
| 9 | can you remember me? |
| 10 | I can drive a car. Can you drive? |
| 11 | I can’t do it. Can you do it? |
| 12 | can she come to Phuket? |
| 13 | can we fly to Bangkok? |
| 14 | he likes to run, can you run? |
| 15 | can you understand him? |
Scroll down for the answers …
| 1 | phûuak rao raw khun thêe nêe dâi măi? |
| 2 | khun phûud phaa-săa ang-grìd dâi măi? |
| 3 | Peter àan phaa-săa thai dâi măi? |
| 4 | phûuak rao nâng thêe nêe dâi măi? |
| 5 | phŏm/chăn wâai nám thêe nêe dâi măi? |
| 6 | khun bpai thêe nân dâi măi? |
| 7 | phŏm/chăn bpai gàp khun dâi măi? |
| 8 | Peter láe Jane phûud phaa-săa thai dâi măi? |
| 9 | khun jam phŏm/chăn dâi măi? |
| 10 | phŏm/chăn khàp ród dâi, khun khàp ród dâi măi? |
| 11 | phŏm/chăn tham mâi dâi, khun tham dâi măi? |
| 12 | ther maa Phuket dâi măi? |
| 13 | phûuak rao bin bpai grung-thâep dâi măi? |
| 14 | khăo châwp wîng, khun wîng dâi măi? |
| 15 | khun khâo jai khăo dâi măi? |