Breakdown of ขอ ยืม เงิน ได้ ไหม คะ
ไหม
question particle
เงิน
money
คะ
female question particle / polite particle (female)
ขอ
to ask for
ได้
can
ยืม
to borrow
Questions & Answers about ขอ ยืม เงิน ได้ ไหม คะ
Why is ได้ (can) placed after the object instead of before the verb like in English?
In Thai, when you use ได้ to mean "can" (for ability or permission), it always goes after the main action. Instead of saying "can borrow money", Thai grammar places it at the end: verb (ยืม) + object (เงิน) + ได้.
The sentence starts with ขอ (may I) and ends with ได้ไหม (can I?). Do I need to use both?
Using both makes the request very natural and polite, similar to asking "May I borrow money, is that possible?". You could drop ขอ and just ask ยืมเงินได้ไหมคะ (Can I borrow money?), but wrapping the request with both softens the question, which is especially good when asking for money!
Where is the word for "I" (like ฉัน) in this sentence?
Thai often drops pronouns like "I" or "you" when they are obvious from the context. Since you are the one asking, and the sentence ends with the personal polite particle คะ, the listener naturally understands that you are the one who wants to borrow the money.
Why is the polite particle คะ used here instead of ค่ะ?
คะ (with a high tone) is specifically used by female speakers at the end of questions. Because the question word ไหม is in this sentence, you must use คะ. You would use ค่ะ (with a falling tone) if you were making a regular statement or answering "yes".
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