Questions & Answers about คุณ ทำ อะไร ครับ
Why does อะไร (what) come at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning?
In Thai, question words like อะไร usually stay in the exact same spot where the answer would go. In English we move "what" to the front, but in Thai, you literally ask "You do what?". This is called an in-situ question.
The translation says "are doing", but where are the words for "are" and "-ing"?
Thai verbs like ทำ (to do) don't change their form to show time. ทำ can mean do, did, or doing depending on the situation. Context is usually enough to show it's happening right now, so you don't need any extra words for "-ing" in a simple question like this.
Do I always have to say คุณ (you) at the start of this question?
Actually, no! In Thai, if it is obvious who you are talking to, you can just drop the pronoun completely. It is very common in everyday conversation to simply ask ทำอะไรครับ (Do what + polite particle?).
If I am a female speaker, do I still use ครับ (khrap) at the end?
No, polite particles depend on the gender of the person speaking, not the person listening. If you identify as female, you should replace the male particle ครับ with the female particle ค่ะ (kha).
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