where
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 where
A basic question word used to ask what place something is in, at, or going to—equivalent to “where.”
where
Asks about a location, destination, or the place where something happens. It also means “where” inside an indirect question.
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ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน hɔ̂ŋ náam yùu thîi nǎy Where is the restroom? ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน details
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คุณทำงานที่ไหน khun tham ŋaan thîi nǎy Where do you work? คุณทำงานที่ไหน details
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ไปที่ไหนก็ได้ pay thîi nǎy kɔ̂ɔ dâay We can go anywhere. ไปที่ไหนก็ได้ details
Learning notes
Explanation
ที่ไหน combines ที่, associated with a place or location, and ไหน, meaning “which.” The resulting expression literally has the idea of “which place.” Use “noun + อยู่ที่ไหน” to ask where a person or thing is, and “verb + ที่ไหน” to ask where an action takes place. Thai normally leaves the question word in the position corresponding to the missing information rather than moving it to the beginning. It also appears in indirect questions, as in ไม่รู้ว่าเขาอยู่ที่ไหน, “I don't know where he is.” With additional words, ที่ไหนก็ได้ means “anywhere,” while ไม่…ที่ไหนเลย means “nowhere” or “not anywhere.” These meanings come from the full constructions, not from ที่ไหน alone. The word itself is neither especially formal nor casual. Add ครับ or คะ at the end of the sentence when politeness is needed.
Usage
It is used constantly in everyday situations to ask where a person, object, or facility is, where someone is going, or where an activity takes place. It is also common in indirect questions when saying that you do not know a location or asking someone to tell you where it is.
Caution
After motion verbs such as ไป (“go”), everyday Thai very commonly drops ที่ and says ไปไหน (“Where are you going?”). With อยู่ when asking for a location, ที่ is normally retained: อยู่ที่ไหน. Also, ที่ไหน alone does not mean “anywhere”; use the complete expression ที่ไหนก็ได้.