ไต่ถาม

Explanation

ไต่ถาม is a verb for asking someone in order to obtain an answer or learn about a situation. It overlaps with the basic verb ถาม, but can sound more deliberate and somewhat more formal. In contexts involving an incident, it may imply asking about the circumstances or details. It can describe police questioning a witness, but the word itself does not always mean a forceful interrogation. With สารทุกข์สุกดิบ, it refers more warmly to asking about someone's life, welfare, or recent circumstances.

Usage

It is used when someone—such as a police officer or official—asks a person about an event or its circumstances. It can also be used when asking with concern about someone's welfare or recent life. For an ordinary, brief question, ถาม is usually more natural.

Caution

Depending on context, it can be translated as “question” or “ask about the circumstances,” but it does not automatically imply coercive interrogation. It may sound unnecessarily weighty for a simple question about a name or the time.

1 ask synonyms

• ซักถาม

  sákthǎam question

  ซักถาม more strongly suggests asking a series of probing questions to clarify something. ไต่ถาม can also involve detailed inquiry, but does not necessarily imply persistent interrogation.

• ถาม

  thǎam ask

  ถาม is the ordinary, all-purpose verb for asking a question. ไต่ถาม is somewhat more formal and can suggest making inquiries to learn the details of a matter.

• สอบถาม

  สอบถาม is a polite way to request information and is common in customer-service and administrative contexts. ไต่ถาม focuses more on asking a person questions to learn an answer or the circumstances.