Word
พี่ชาย กำลัง ล้าง ไก่ ครับ
Meaning
My older brother is washing chicken.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of พี่ชาย กำลัง ล้าง ไก่ ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
พี่ชาย
older brother
กำลัง
in the process of
ล้าง
to wash
Questions & Answers about พี่ชาย กำลัง ล้าง ไก่ ครับ
How do we use กำลัง in this sentence?
กำลัง is the progressive marker, meaning it shows an action is happening right now, just like the '-ing' ending in English. You place it directly before the main verb. Here, it goes right before ล้าง (to wash) to make กำลังล้าง (is washing).
The translation says 'My older brother,' but where is the word for 'my'?
Thai often leaves out pronouns and possession words when the context makes it obvious. When you just say พี่ชาย (older brother), it naturally implies 'my older brother' unless you specify someone else.
Can I use ล้าง to say I am washing my clothes or my hair?
No, ล้าง is specifically used for cleaning objects, food, or surfaces with water, like the chicken (ไก่) in this sentence, or your hands and dishes. Thai uses completely different words for washing clothes (ซัก) and washing hair (สระ).
Does the polite particle ครับ refer to the older brother being male?
Not exactly. ครับ is used here because the speaker of the sentence is male. The polite particle at the end of a sentence always matches the gender identity of the person talking, regardless of who the sentence is about.