Breakdown of ลูก ถูก บังคับ ให้ กิน ผัก ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
กิน
to eat
ลูก
child (offspring)
ผัก
vegetable
ให้
to have/let (someone) do
ถูก
passive marker
บังคับ
to force
Questions & Answers about ลูก ถูก บังคับ ให้ กิน ผัก ครับ
How does the word ถูก work in this sentence?
ถูก is the standard passive marker in Thai. It sits right before the verb (บังคับ, to force) to show that the subject (ลูก, the child) had the action done to them. In Thai, ถูก is most often used when the experience is negative or against the person's will, which perfectly fits being forced to eat vegetables!
I know ให้ usually means "to give." What is it doing here between "force" and "eat"?
In this sentence, ให้ acts like the English word "to" in the phrase "forced to eat." It links the first verb (บังคับ, to force) to the resulting action (กิน, to eat). You will often see ให้ used this way as a linking word after verbs that involve ordering, causing, or forcing someone to do something.
If I wanted to say "The child was forced by his mom," where would "mom" go?
The person doing the action goes immediately after ถูก and before the verb. So, "was forced by mom" would be ถูก แม่ บังคับ (literally: passive-marker Mom force). Since this specific sentence doesn't mention who did the forcing, ถูก connects straight to the action verb.
Could I use the word เด็ก instead of ลูก here?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. ลูก specifically refers to someone's offspring (their son or daughter). If you use เด็ก, it just means a child in general, like a random kid you saw at a restaurant.
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