ไป and มา: away and towards
Learn how ไป and มา show direction and what else they do in a sentence.
ไป means go, away from the speaker. มา means come, towards the speaker. After another verb they show which way the action goes. English often uses a different verb or a word like away or back for this: take and bring, go back and come back.
Take it away.
Bring it here.
They've come back.
Tomorrow I'm going back.
Common mistake
Direction is measured from the speaker. English can say I'm coming when you move towards the person you're talking to. Thai uses ไป for that, because you're moving away from where you are now. เขามา means they're coming here, and เขาไป means they're going somewhere else, even to you.
Practise
Kai says
The vowel เ is written before its consonant, but spoken after it. Your eyes see the vowel first; your voice starts with the consonant.