Phrase patterns
12 patterns for building sentences
Put the grammar to work: take words you know and build a sentence from a pattern. Next time the words may be different.
The level shows how many rules one sentence uses. We start with one, then combine several. Where time and place go is covered in “Building a sentence”.
One rule
2Two rules
10Who → does what → howA describing word works as an adverb unchanged and follows the verbwhodoes whathowWho → จะ → does what → to whomจะ marks the future and goes right before the verb, like willwhoจะdoes whatwhom or whatWho → does what → to whom → แล้วแล้ว marks a finished action and goes at the very end of the sentencewhodoes whatwhom or whatแล้วWho → ไม่ → does what → to whomไม่ goes right before the verb. Thai needs no word like doesn'twhoไม่does whatwhom or whatWho → does what → ที่ → whereThe place goes at the end after ที่, which covers at, in and onwhodoes whatที่placeWhen → who → does what → to whomSay tomorrow and you don't need a marker: the time word already sets the timewhenwhodoes whatwhom or whatWho → does what → to whom → ไหมA yes-or-no question is the same sentence with ไหม at the endwhodoes whatwhom or whatไหมWho → does what → อะไรอะไร, what, goes where the answer would be: at the end, not at the startwhodoes whatอะไรWho → does what → ที่ไหนที่ไหน, where, goes where the place itself would be: at the endwhodoes whatที่ไหนWho → does what → what → number → classifierThe thing comes first, then the number, then the classifierwhodoes whatwhatnumberclassifier