Log inSign up

มัน　แปลก　ที่　ใคร　ก็　ไม่　เดินทาง　โดย　รถไฟ　ค่ะ

มัน　แปลก　ที่　ใคร　ก็　ไม่　เดินทาง　โดย　รถไฟ　ค่ะ
It is strange that nobody travels by train.
From Lesson 166:Negative pronouns (...ก็ไม่)·Thai

Questions & Answers about มัน　แปลก　ที่　ใคร　ก็　ไม่　เดินทาง　โดย　รถไฟ　ค่ะ

How does ใคร ก็ ไม่ translate to "nobody" here?
To make a negative indefinite pronoun like "nobody" or "no one," Thai uses the pattern: question word + ก็ + ไม่. Here, we use ใคร (who) + ก็ (a particle often meaning "also" or linking a condition) + ไม่ (not). Literally it feels like saying "whoever, also doesn't..." which naturally translates as "nobody."
I know ที่ usually means "at" or "place." What is it doing in this sentence?
In this context, ที่ functions as the conjunction "that." It connects the first clause มัน แปลก (It is strange) to the descriptive clause that follows it, ใคร ก็ ไม่ เดินทาง โดย รถไฟ (nobody travels by train).
The word for travel is เดินทาง which contains the word for "walk" (เดิน). Does this mean they are walking to the train?
No, เดินทาง (literally "walk way") is the general Thai compound verb for "to travel" or "to journey." Even though it has เดิน in it, it applies to any mode of transportation, such as flying, driving, or taking a train.
Could I say นั่ง รถไฟ instead of โดย รถไฟ?
Yes, absolutely! In casual spoken Thai, people very often say นั่ง รถไฟ (literally "sit train") to mean "take the train." Using โดย (by / by means of) is grammatically correct but sounds just a little bit more formal or proper, which fits nicely with the polite particle ค่ะ at the end of the sentence.

Learn มัน　แปลก　ที่　ใคร　ก็　ไม่　เดินทาง　โดย　รถไฟ　ค่ะ and more in Thai

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Thai →