Breakdown of กระโปรง ตัว นี้ คับ ไป ไหม ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
ไหม
question particle
ตัว
classifier for animals and things
นี้
this (modifier)
Questions & Answers about กระโปรง ตัว นี้ คับ ไป ไหม ครับ
Doesn't ไป usually mean 'to go'? Why is it translated as 'too' here?
You are right! By itself, ไป means 'to go'. But as this lesson shows, when you put ไป right after a descriptive word like คับ (tight), it acts as a degree modifier meaning 'too' or 'excessively'. You could also use เกินไป here, so คับเกินไป would mean the exact same thing.
Why do we need the word ตัว between 'skirt' and 'this'? Can I just say กระโปรงนี้?
In Thai, you cannot attach 'this' (นี้) directly to a noun. You must use the pattern: Noun + Classifier + นี้. Because a skirt is a piece of clothing, it uses the classifier ตัว (which is also used for shirts, pants, and animals). So, the phrase is literally built as 'skirt item this'.
Where is the verb 'is' in this sentence?
Thai does not use a linking verb like 'is' or 'are' before descriptive words. Words like คับ (tight) act as verbs themselves. You can think of the literal translation as 'This skirt tights too much.' Adding a Thai 'to be' verb here would be grammatically incorrect.
Why does the question word ไหม come before the polite word ครับ?
ไหม is the particle that turns the statement into a yes/no question, completing the core sentence. Polite particles like ครับ (for men) or ค่ะ (for women) are always added at the absolute end, after the grammar of the sentence is already fully formed.