อยู่ที่ไหน
yùu thîi-nǎi
In Thai, 'where is' is said as อยู่ที่ไหน (yùu thîi-nǎi).
This phrase is used specifically to ask about the location of objects, people or places. It is not used when asking about a person's identity or their state of being.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the word อยู่ (yùu), which literally means 'to be at' or 'to stay/reside' when used to indicate location.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, the verb 'to be' (อยู่) in this phrase does not change based on whether the subject is singular or plural.
How do you pronounce it?
yùu thîi-nǎi
Did you know?
- In written Thai, there are no spaces between อยู่, ที่ and ไหน, making the phrase appear as one continuous string of characters.
- To ask 'where is' regarding a missing object that you expected to be in a certain spot, Thai speakers might use หายไปไหน which literally means 'disappeared to where'.
- If you are asking where an object is, you can often omit the subject entirely and just say อยู่ที่ไหน (yùu thîi-nǎi) without sounding rude, as long as your tone is polite.
Examples in context
- ลิฟต์อยู่ที่ไหน?Where is the elevator?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of an elevator using อยู่ที่ไหน.Tatoeba #8695483 by pastelite, translation #65239 by CK
- ธนาคารอยู่ที่ไหน?Where is the bank?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of a bank using อยู่ที่ไหน.Tatoeba #8850915 by pastelite, translation #48623 by CK
- ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน?Where is the bathroom?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of a bathroom using อยู่ที่ไหน.Tatoeba #7878460 by pastelite, translation #2136 by brauliobezerra
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man asks a woman for directions to the market.
- วิทวัส Witthawatตลาดอยู่ที่ไหนครับ?ta-laat yuu thii nai khrap?Where is the market?
- สิรินทร์ Sirinเดินตรงไปทางนั้นค่ะdoen trong pai thaang nan khaWalk straight that way.
- วิทวัส Witthawatไกลจากที่นี่ไหมครับ?klai jaak thii nii mai khrap?Is it far from here?
- สิรินทร์ Sirinไม่ไกลค่ะ เดินนิดเดียวmai klai kha, doen nit diaoIt's not far, just a short walk.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
