อะไรวะ
a-rai wa
In Thai, 'what the hell' is expressed as อะไรวะ (a-rai wa).
This phrase is used to express sudden confusion, shock or irritation regarding a situation or something someone has said.
Meaning: an intensive form of what (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of อะไร (a-rai) and the particle วะ (wa). The particle วะ is added to the end of a question to add an aggressive, annoyed or highly informal tone.
Which one should you use?
While the neutral way to ask 'what' is อะไร, adding the particle วะ transforms it into the intensive 'what the hell'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
อะไรวะ is highly informal and can be perceived as rude or aggressive depending on your tone of voice.
How do you pronounce it?
a-rai wa
Did you know?
- The particle วะ can be swapped with โว้ย to create an even more explosive version of 'what the hell'. While วะ is annoying, โว้ย is a full-blown shout of intense frustration.
- The particle วะ is often used by male speakers to sound tough or more masculine in casual settings. Using it can make your speech sound more assertive or even street-style compared to the polite particle ครับ.
- In certain Thai subcultures or among close friends, adding วะ to a sentence isn't always seen as an insult. It can signal a high level of intimacy, where being 'rude' is actually a sign that you are comfortable enough with someone to drop all formalities.
Examples in context
- นี่มันอะไรวะni man arai waWhat the hell is this?
Example conversation
Two friends see a strange object on the ground.
- พิมล Pimonธนกฤต ดูนั่นสิ อะไรวะThanakrit duu nân sì, à-rai waThanakrit, look at that, what the hell is it?
- ธนกฤต Thanakritไม่รู้เหมือนกัน ดูแปลกๆ นะmâi rúu muean kan, duu plaèk plaèk naI don't know either, it looks strange.
- พิมล Pimonมันคืออะไรวะ พิมลอยากรู้จริงๆman khue à-rai wa, Phimon yàak rúu jing jingWhat the hell is it? I really want to know.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritอย่าไปแตะมันเลย พิมลyàa pai tàe man loei, PhimonDon't touch it, Phimon.
