Asking when (เมื่อไร)

Asking "When"

To ask when an event happened or will happen, Thai uses the question word เมื่อไร. Unlike in English where "when" typically starts the sentence, Thai question words usually sit at the end of the phrase, exactly where the time or date would be in the answer.

You can use this to ask about personal milestones, such as when someone was born (เกิด) or when their birthday (วันเกิด) is.

Life Milestones

You can place เมื่อไร after various verbs to ask about major life events. For example, use it to ask when someone is getting married (แต่งงาน) or finishing their studies (จบ).

Holidays and Parties

To ask about upcoming events, state the event and add เมื่อไร at the end. You can also include an action verb like เริ่ม (to start) before the question word. For example, you can ask about a party (งาน) for the New Year (ปีใหม่).

Moving and School Schedules

This same pattern applies to asking about routine changes or schedules. Whether someone is moving (ย้าย), taking an exam (สอบ), or going on a school break (ปิดเทอม), simply place เมื่อไร at the end of the question.