Breakdown of คดี นี้ มี โจร กี่ คน คะ
มี
to have / there is / there are
คน
person
คะ
female question particle / polite particle (female)
กี่
how many
Questions & Answers about คดี นี้ มี โจร กี่ คน คะ
Why does the sentence start with คดีนี้ (this case) instead of putting it at the end like in English?
In Thai, sentences often use a topic-comment structure. By putting คดี (case) and นี้ (this) at the very beginning, you establish what you are talking about first, and then ask a question about it: As for this case, there are how many robbers?
I learned that มี means to have. Does it also mean there are?
Yes! In Thai, มี is used for both possession (to have) and existence (there is or there are). In this sentence, มี translates perfectly to there are when asking how many robbers exist in the case.
Why is the question word กี่ (how many) placed near the end of the sentence?
Thai question words usually stay in the exact same spot where the answer will go. If the answer is three robbers, you would say โจร สาม คน. To ask how many, you just replace the number สาม (three) with the question word กี่ (how many).
Why do we need the word คน (person) at the end if we already said โจร (robber)?
In Thai, whenever you count a noun or ask how many using กี่, you must use a classifier. Since โจร is a type of person, it uses the standard human classifier คน. The required pattern is always: Noun + กี่ + Classifier.