คุณ ซื้อ น้ำ กี่ ขวด คะ

From Lesson 21:How many (กี่)·Thai

Questions & Answers about คุณ ซื้อ น้ำ กี่ ขวด คะ

Why is the word order "water how many bottles" (น้ำ กี่ ขวด) instead of "how many bottles of water"?
In Thai, the main noun you are talking about (น้ำ, water) comes first. To ask "how many," you use the question word กี่ followed directly by a classifier. There is no Thai word for "of" needed in this structure.
Is ขวด just the regular noun for "bottle," or is it a classifier here?
It is acting as the classifier here, but it is also the regular noun for "bottle"! In Thai, many containers act as their own classifiers. Because the grammar rule for asking quantities is กี่ + classifier, we use ขวด right after กี่ to count the bottles.
The English translation says "are you buying," but there is no "-ing" word here. How does Thai show this?
Thai verbs like ซื้อ (to buy) do not change their spelling or add endings to show time or tense. The context of the situation tells you when it is happening. If you are standing at a store, คุณ ซื้อ naturally means "you are buying" right now.
Why does the sentence end with คะ and not ค่ะ?
คะ (with a high tone) is the polite particle used by female speakers specifically for questions. Because this sentence asks a question, a female speaker must use คะ. The similar-looking word ค่ะ (with a falling tone) is strictly used for statements and answering.

Learn คุณ ซื้อ น้ำ กี่ ขวด คะ 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