Breakdown of วันนี้ คุณ ว่าง ไหม ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
คุณ
you
ไหม
question particle
วันนี้
today
ว่าง
to be free
Questions & Answers about วันนี้ คุณ ว่าง ไหม ครับ
Why is there no word for "are" in this sentence?
In Thai, words like ว่าง (to be free, empty, available) work like verbs on their own. You don't need a helper word like "is" or "are" before them. You simply say "you free" (คุณ ว่าง) and add the question word ไหม at the end.
How do I answer "yes" if I am free?
And how do I answer "no" if I am busy?
To answer "no", you place the word ไม่ (not) right in front of the word you are echoing. So to say "no, I'm not free", you would answer ไม่ว่าง.
Does ว่าง mean "free" as in "free of charge"?
No, ว่าง specifically means "free" in the sense of having available time, or a seat/space being empty. If you want to say something costs zero money, Thai uses a different word: ฟรี, which is actually borrowed from the English word "free"!
Why is วันนี้ (today) at the very beginning of the sentence?
In Thai, time words often go at the very beginning of the sentence to set the context right away. You could also put it after the subject (คุณ วันนี้ ว่าง ไหม ครับ) or before the question word (คุณ ว่าง วันนี้ ไหม ครับ), but putting it first is very natural and common.
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