Breakdown of น้ำมัน ลิตร ละ เท่าไร คะ
คะ
female question particle / polite particle (female)
น้ำมัน
oil
ละ
per
เท่าไร
how much
Questions & Answers about น้ำมัน ลิตร ละ เท่าไร คะ
Why is the word order ลิตร ละ เท่าไร (liter per how much) instead of putting 'how much' first?
In Thai, the structure for asking the price per unit is always Unit + ละ + Price or Question Word. Instead of saying 'how much per liter' like in English, Thai literally says 'liter per how much'.
Could I use กี่ (how many) here instead of เท่าไร?
No, because เท่าไร is used for asking 'how much' for prices, general amounts, and uncountable things. กี่ is strictly for asking 'how many' of a countable item. Since you are asking for the price of the oil, you must use เท่าไร.
Does น้ำมัน refer to cooking oil or car gasoline?
It can be both! น้ำมัน is a general word that means 'oil' or 'fuel'. Depending on your context—like being at a gas station versus a grocery store—it can mean gasoline, cooking oil, or even massage oil.
Where is the verb for 'is' in this sentence?
Thai frequently drops 'to be' verbs (like เป็น or คือ) when talking about prices or describing things. You simply place the item (น้ำมัน), the unit (ลิตร ละ), and the price question (เท่าไร) right next to each other.