เท่าไหร่
how much
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 how much、how many、how old
- 2 how much、how far、to what extent
- 3 no matter how much、any amount、as much as one likes
- 4 not very、not particularly、not that much
This word refers to an unspecified amount, number, or degree. It commonly asks “how much,” “how many,” or “to what extent,” and it also appears in patterns meaning “no matter how much,” “as much as one likes,” and “not very.”
how much、how many、how old
Asks for an unknown price, amount, number, or age.
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ราคาเท่าไหร่ raakhaa thâw rày How much is it? ราคาเท่าไหร่ details
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คุณอายุเท่าไหร่ khun aayú thâw rày How old are you? คุณอายุเท่าไหร่ details
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ต้องใช้เงินเท่าไหร่ tɔ̂ŋ cháy ŋən thâw rày How much money is needed? ต้องใช้เงินเท่าไหร่ details
how much、how far、to what extent
Asks to what degree or extent something is true, long, far, strong, or similar.
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ใช้เวลานานเท่าไหร่ cháy weelaa naan thâw rày How long does it take? ใช้เวลานานเท่าไหร่ details
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จากที่นี่ไกลเท่าไหร่ càak thîi nîi klay thâw rày How far is it from here? จากที่นี่ไกลเท่าไหร่ details
no matter how much、any amount、as much as one likes
In patterns with ก็ or ก็ได้, indicates that any amount is possible or that the result holds regardless of the amount or effort involved.
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พยายามเท่าไหร่ก็ไม่สำเร็จ phayaayaam thâw rày kɔ̂ɔ mây sǎmrèt No matter how hard I try, I cannot succeed. พยายามเท่าไหร่ก็ไม่สำเร็จ details
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กินเท่าไหร่ก็ได้ kin thâw rày kɔ̂ɔ dâay You can eat as much as you like. กินเท่าไหร่ก็ได้ details
not very、not particularly、not that much
Follows a negative expression to soften it and indicate that something is not true to a great degree.
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ไม่แพงเท่าไหร่ mây phɛɛŋ thâw rày It is not very expensive. ไม่แพงเท่าไหร่ details
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ฉันไม่ชอบเท่าไหร่ chǎn mây chɔ̂ɔp thâw rày I do not like it very much. ฉันไม่ชอบเท่าไหร่ details
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ยังไม่เข้าใจเท่าไหร่ yaŋ mây khâwcay thâw rày I still do not understand it very well. ยังไม่เข้าใจเท่าไหร่ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea is an amount, number, or degree that has not yet been specified. In questions, the natural English translation varies with the subject: “how much,” “how many,” “how old,” “how long,” or “how far.” It normally follows the word or phrase being measured, as in ราคาเท่าไหร่ “how much does it cost?” and ไกลเท่าไหร่ “how far?” It is also common outside direct questions. เท่าไหร่ก็… means “no matter how much,” เท่าไหร่ก็ได้ allows any amount or means “as much as you like,” and ไม่…เท่าไหร่ means “not very” or “not that much.” เท่าไร is a spelling variant with the same basic uses. เท่าไหร่ is widespread in everyday speech and informal writing, while เท่าใด is more formal.
Usage
It is used constantly in everyday situations: asking prices while shopping, checking someone’s age, or asking about an amount, duration, distance, or degree. It also appears when allowing someone to choose any amount, describing a result that does not change regardless of effort, or softening a negative opinion. Add ครับ or คะ at the end to make a question polite.
Caution
For a specific number of countable items, กี่ plus a classifier is often more natural. For example, “How many books?” is หนังสือกี่เล่ม. Word order also matters. The softened negative pattern is negative word + predicate + เท่าไหร่, as in ไม่แพงเท่าไหร่ “not very expensive.” เท่าไหร่ก็ได้ permits any amount, whereas เท่าไหร่ก็ไม่… means “no matter how much …, not ….”