Learn Thai: นี่　แมว　ค่ะ - This is a cat. female speaker

In Thai, when you use นี่ (this) to identify something, you don't need a verb for "is". You just put นี่ directly in front of the noun, like นี่ แมว (This [is a] cat).

Why is ค่ะ at the very end of the sentence?

ค่ะ is a politeness particle used by female speakers. In Thai, these particles always go at the very end of the statement to make it polite and respectful. If a male speaker were saying this, he would use ครับ at the end instead.

The translation says "a cat", but I don't see a word for "a". How does that work?

Thai does not use articles like "a", "an", or "the". The word แมว simply means "cat". We add "a" in the English translation just because it makes the most sense in English.

Can I use this same ค่ะ if I want to ask "Is this a cat?"

Not exactly! This specific word ค่ะ (which has a falling tone) is used for statements and answers. When a female speaker asks a question, she uses a slightly different particle, คะ (with a high tone), at the end instead.

Breakdown of นี่ แมว ค่ะ

Questions & Answers about นี่ แมว ค่ะ

Breakdown of นี่　แมว　ค่ะ

Questions & Answers about นี่　แมว　ค่ะ