Breakdown of ลด น้ำมัน นิดหนึ่ง นะ ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
ลด
to decrease
นะ
na (softening particle)
นิดหนึ่ง
a little bit
น้ำมัน
oil
Questions & Answers about ลด น้ำมัน นิดหนึ่ง นะ ครับ
Why does นิดหนึ่ง come at the end of the phrase instead of right after the verb ลด (reduce)?
In English we might say reduce a little bit of oil, but in Thai, degree modifiers like นิดหนึ่ง usually go after the verb and its object. The structure is [Verb] + [Object] + (reduce) + น้ำมัน (oil) + นิดหนึ่ง (a little bit).
Is there a difference between using นิดหนึ่ง and นิดหน่อย in this sentence?
In this context, they mean exactly the same thing and can be used interchangeably. Both are perfectly natural here when asking someone to use a little less oil.
I do not see a word for please in the Thai text. How is this a polite request?
Everyday spoken Thai rarely uses formal dictionary words for please. Instead, you make a command polite and friendly by combining the softening particle นะ with the polite speaker particle ครับ (or ค่ะ). Together, they do the job of please.
Could น้ำมัน mean fuel or gasoline here, instead of cooking oil?
Yes! น้ำมัน is the general word for any kind of oil, fuel, or gasoline. While you will commonly hear this sentence at a street food stall asking a cook for less oil, it works for other types of oil too depending on the situation.
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