Breakdown of คุณ มอง ทะลุ กำแพง ได้ ไหม ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
คุณ
you
ไหม
question particle
ได้
can
มอง
to look
ทะลุ
to break through
กำแพง
wall (exterior)
Questions & Answers about คุณ มอง ทะลุ กำแพง ได้ ไหม ครับ
Why do we use the verb ทะลุ here instead of a preposition for 'through'?
In Thai, 'through' isn't expressed as a preposition like in English, but as a resultative serial verb. มอง is the main action (looking), and ทะลุ is the result (penetrating or clearing a barrier). Together, มองทะลุ means 'to look with the result of seeing right through.'
The English translation says 'see', so why does the Thai sentence use มอง (to look) instead of เห็น (to see)?
มอง emphasizes the intentional effort of directing your eyes at the wall. While English naturally uses 'can you see' to express capability, Thai focuses on the action you are attempting: 'can you look through the wall?' You could also say มองเห็นทะลุ, but มองทะลุ is a very natural and standard set phrase for looking right through a solid object.
Why is the capability word ได้ placed after กำแพง (wall) instead of directly after the verb?
As a quick refresher, when expressing ability, ได้ goes at the end of the entire verb phrase, which includes the object. The structure is [Action] + [Object] + ได้. Here, the action is มองทะลุ and the object is กำแพง, so ได้ comes right after the wall.
Can I apply this exact same [Verb] + ทะลุ structure to physical actions too?
Yes, absolutely! This is how you express an action resulting in physical penetration. For example, you can swap มอง for เดิน (to walk) to get เดินทะลุ (walk clear through), or เจาะ (to drill) to get เจาะทะลุกำแพง (drill right through the wall).
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