Breakdown of เขา แข็งแกร่ง พอที่จะ คู่ควร กับ ตำแหน่ง นี้ ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
เขา
he, she, they
นี้
this (modifier)
กับ
with / and (connecting nouns) / to (a recipient)
ตำแหน่ง
position
แข็งแกร่ง
strong (robust, tough)
พอที่จะ
enough to
คู่ควร
worthy
Questions & Answers about เขา แข็งแกร่ง พอที่จะ คู่ควร กับ ตำแหน่ง นี้ ครับ
The lesson focuses on พอที่จะ, but could I just say พอจะ or drop the ที่ here?
While casually you might hear people shorten it, พอที่จะ is the standard way to say "enough to [do something]" when connecting a stative verb like แข็งแกร่ง (strong) to a following verb phrase like คู่ควร (to be worthy). The word ที่ acts as a linker, and จะ points to the theoretical result or capability. Leaving out ที่ makes the connection feel less complete, especially in a slightly formal sentence like this one.
I learned that แข็งแรง means "strong". Why does this sentence use แข็งแกร่ง instead?
แข็งแรง usually refers to basic physical health or literal muscle strength. แข็งแกร่ง, on the other hand, means tough, formidable, or resilient. It implies mental and emotional toughness on top of physical power, which makes it much more appropriate when talking about whether someone has the grit to handle a demanding rank or position (ตำแหน่ง).
I recognize ควร (should) inside the word for worthy (คู่ควร). What is the literal meaning of this compound word?
Great catch! ควร means "should" or "proper", and คู่ means "pair" or "match". When you put them together, คู่ควร literally describes being "a match that should be" or "a proper match". This is how Thai expresses that someone or something is fitting, deserving, or worthy.
Why does the sentence use กับ (with) after worthy, rather than a word for "of" like in the English translation?
It is very common for Thai words to pair with different prepositions than their English counterparts. Because the first half of คู่ควร means "pair", the logic of the word requires you to be a pair with something. So, in Thai, you are "a suitable match with" (กับ) the position, rather than "worthy of" it.
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