Log inSign up

ผู้คน　บ้าง　ก็　สอยดาว　บ้าง　ก็　ซื้อ　สายไหม　ครับ

ผู้คน　บ้าง　ก็　สอยดาว　บ้าง　ก็　ซื้อ　สายไหม　ครับ
Some people play the lucky draw, some buy cotton candy.
From Lesson 490:Distributing actions (บ้างก็... บ้างก็...)·Thai

Questions & Answers about ผู้คน　บ้าง　ก็　สอยดาว　บ้าง　ก็　ซื้อ　สายไหม　ครับ

Why does the subject ผู้คน come before the บ้างก็... บ้างก็... structure instead of after?
This structure splits a main group into smaller subsets doing different things. You must establish the main group first (ผู้คน - the people), and then use บ้างก็ to say what 'some' of that established group are doing. Think of it like: 'Regarding the people: some do X, some do Y.'
Is the ก็ required here, or could I just use บ้าง on its own?
You need the ก็. In this pattern, ก็ acts as the crucial link connecting the subgroup (บ้าง) to the action they are performing. If you just used บ้าง by itself before a verb, it would sound unnatural, as บ้าง usually acts as a quantifier ('some/a little') at the end of a sentence.
Why use ผู้คน for 'people' instead of the basic word คน?
While คน simply means 'person' or 'people', ผู้คน emphasizes a crowd, the masses, or 'people in general'. It paints a picture of a bustling festival or busy public space, which fits perfectly with this scene of buying cotton candy and playing games.
The word for playing the lucky draw is สอยดาว. Where does this term come from?
Literally, it means 'to pluck stars' (สอย = to pluck/hook from a height, ดาว = star). This refers to a traditional Thai temple fair game where prize tickets are hung high up on a tree-like structure, and players use a long bamboo stick with a hook to pull down their 'star'.
Does สายไหม (cotton candy) have a literal translation?
Yes! สาย means 'line' or 'strand', and ไหม means 'silk'. So, cotton candy in Thai is descriptively called 'strands of silk'.

Learn ผู้คน　บ้าง　ก็　สอยดาว　บ้าง　ก็　ซื้อ　สายไหม　ครับ 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 →