Sentence structure

When to use a word for “be”

Choose เป็น, อยู่, คือ or มี, and recognise descriptions that need none of them.

English uses be before an adjective: the food is spicy, or I am hungry. Thai normally puts the description straight after the subject. อาหารเผ็ด means the food is spicy. There is no missing verb to fill in.

When you do need a verb, choose it for the relationship you want to express. A role, a location, an identification and possession don't all use the same Thai word.

Different relationships

  • เป็นbpen

    to be a member of a category

    เป็น: occupations, roles and similar classifications

  • อยู่yùu

    to be located

    อยู่: where someone or something is

  • คือkʉʉ

    to be; namely

    คือ: identification, definition or explanation

  • มีmii

    to have; there is

    มี: possession or existence

Common mistake

Don't put เป็น before an ordinary description such as hungry. ฉันหิว means I'm hungry. ฉันเป็นหิว doesn't follow the Thai pattern. Learn the whole relationship: a teacher uses เป็น, hungry doesn't, and a location uses อยู่.

Practise

Kai says

ปลา means fish; น้ำปลา is fish sauce. Once you recognise the parts, a longer Thai word can start looking much less unfamiliar.