Breakdown of ผม ขอ ถาม อะไร ได้ ไหม ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
ผม
I (male)
ไหม
question particle
อะไร
what
ขอ
to ask for
ได้
can
ถาม
to ask
Questions & Answers about ผม ขอ ถาม อะไร ได้ ไหม ครับ
Why are there two words for "ask" (ขอ and ถาม) in this sentence?
ขอ means "to ask for" or "to request" (like asking for a favor or permission), while ถาม means "to ask a question". Together, ขอถาม means "I request to ask a question."
I thought อะไร meant "what". Why is it translated as "something" here?
You are right that อะไร usually means "what" in questions. However, when it is used as an object and is not the main question word in the sentence, it often translates to "something" or "anything". So ถามอะไร literally means "ask something".
Why does ได้ (can) go all the way at the end after the object, instead of next to the pronoun?
In English we say "Can I ask...", putting "can" at the beginning. In Thai, the pattern for capability and permission is Verb + Object + ได้. Here, the action is ถามอะไร (ask something), and ได้ follows it to ask if you "can do it".
Since ขอ already asks for permission, do we really need ได้ไหม at the end?
You can actually use just one or the other! Saying ผมขอถามอะไรครับ (May I ask something?) or ผมถามอะไรได้ไหมครับ (Can I ask something?) are both perfectly fine. Using both together is just a very common, natural, and polite way to ask for permission in Thai.
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