we all know mai mee a-rai means "nothing" but suppose you want to say "don't have what?" in reponse to a statement like "i don't have ?????".

does mai mee a-rai also work for "don't have what?" or should i use something else?

steve

i think it would be "khun mai mee a-rai na?"

depends on the context ,methinks

it could be

"i don't have any problem"

"nothing"

"no problem"

"nevermind"

BUT ... for girls "mai mee arai" means " oh yeahh ..you have a problem now..you do something bloody wrong "

Yeah, guardian's got it right there. You'd use the particle นะ at the end.

(คุณ)ไม่มีอะไรนะ = What was it that you don't have?

or also

อะไรนะที่คุณบอกว่าไม่มี = What was it that you said you didn't have?

Give it a try, but you may have to rephrase it a few times before you get the right reply.

For those of you who don't read Thai:

(คุณ)ไม่มีอะไรนะ = What was it that you don't have?

(khun) mai mii a-rai na?

or also

อะไรนะที่คุณบอกว่าไม่มี = What was it that you said you didn't have?

a-rai na thii khun bawk waa mai mii?

For those of you who don't read Thai:

(คุณ)ไม่มีอะไรนะ = What was it that you don't have?

(khun) mai mii a-rai na?

or also

อะไรนะที่คุณบอกว่าไม่มี = What was it that you said you didn't have?

a-rai na thii khun bawk waa mai mii?

ok, thanks all, got it. just stick a "na" on the end to make it sound more like a question.

i was just thinking about other question words that sometime arn't. like my wife often uses thao-rai to make something smaller, like "mai paing thao-rai" is "not very expensive". have you alloticed that?

For those of you who don't read Thai:

(คุณ)ไม่มีอะไรนะ = What was it that you don't have?

(khun) mai mii a-rai na?

or also

อะไรนะที่คุณบอกว่าไม่มี = What was it that you said you didn't have?

a-rai na thii khun bawk waa mai mii?

You can also say for the meaning dont have anything..

mai mi suk yang ไม่มีสักอย่าง

or

mai mi suk arn ไม่มีสักอัน

You can use this as I dont have any yang = thing (anything)

You can also change the ending to any countable noun

example mai mi suk baht (I dont have any money)

or mai mi suk con (there are no people)

hope this helps..

clown town

For those of you who don't read Thai:

(คุณ)ไม่มีอะไรนะ = What was it that you don't have?

(khun) mai mii a-rai na?

or also

อะไรนะที่คุณบอกว่าไม่มี = What was it that you said you didn't have?

a-rai na thii khun bawk waa mai mii?

ok, thanks all, got it. just stick a "na" on the end to make it sound more like a question.

i was just thinking about other question words that sometime arn't. like my wife often uses thao-rai to make something smaller, like "mai paing thao-rai" is "not very expensive". have you alloticed that?

Yep, in those contexts 'thaorai' takes on a slightly different meaning. You can achieve the same effect with

mâi khôi phaeng ไม่ค่อยแพง

mai phaeng nák ไม่แพงนัก

...and you can also use a complete construction with 'khôi + verb + thâorài':

wan níi rúusèuk mâi khôi sabaai thâorài วันนี้รู้สึกไม่ค่อยสบายเท่าไหร่ = I don't feel so well today.

thanks bambinA

Im a girl- now i can use this properly!!!

For those of you who don't read Thai:

(คุณ)ไม่มีอะไรนะ = What was it that you don't have?

(khun) mai mii a-rai na?

or also

อะไรนะที่คุณบอกว่าไม่มี = What was it that you said you didn't have?

a-rai na thii khun bawk waa mai mii?

ok, thanks all, got it. just stick a "na" on the end to make it sound more like a question.

i was just thinking about other question words that sometime arn't. like my wife often uses thao-rai to make something smaller, like "mai paing thao-rai" is "not very expensive". have you alloticed that?

If I'm not mistaken, "na" isn't used as a question word anthough it can be used with a question. It's generally used to make a phrase sound "softer" or more polite. In other words, "na" makes a question or a statement sound less harsh or demanding.

If I'm not mistaken, "na" isn't used as a question word anthough it can be used with a question. It's generally used to make a phrase sound "softer" or more polite. In other words, "na" makes a question or a statement sound less harsh or demanding.

You are correct. It is the tone in which you say the "na" which will indicate whether you are just ending a sentence more politely or asking a question.

Guardian

If I'm not mistaken, "na" isn't used as a question word anthough it can be used with a question. It's generally used to make a phrase sound "softer" or more polite. In other words, "na" makes a question or a statement sound less harsh or demanding.

You are correct. It is the tone in which you say the "na" which will indicate whether you are just ending a sentence more politely or asking a question.

Guardian

I am not as much a fan of mai mee arai na

as

mai mee arai ler krub/ka/ja?

or

mai mee arai chai mai?

I am trying to think of when I would use this....

If it was a physical item, e.g. I wanted a washer (ee-bae) but I didn't know the word for sure, and whether they knew what it was so we discuss first...

'Pom yahk dai ee-bae tee chai gup ai-board windsurf'

'gor.....'

-'mai mee ee-bae ler krub?'

or

-'mai mee ler krub?'

or

-'mai kai ler krub?'

Can't quite see how to use the mai mee arai ler /chai mai type phrase....

If it was emotional, then probably doesn't need the Khun....

'mai bpen arai chai mai?'

if about a secret....

'mai mee arai nai gor pae chai mai krub?'

Chai mai = confirmation one way or the other.

I think we might need slightly more context; but as Bambi says, if a woman says

'mai mee arai' then sighs.....WATCH OUT!

If it was a physical item, e.g. I wanted a washer (ee-bae) but I didn't know the word for sure, and whether they knew what it was so we discuss first...

'Pom yahk dai ee-bae tee chai gup ai-board windsurf'

'gor.....'

-'mai mee ee-bae ler krub?'

or

-'mai mee ler krub?'

or

-'mai kai ler krub?'

Can't quite see how to use the mai mee arai ler /chai mai type phrase....

To make it as simple as I can.

Customer asks "C" and person in store "S"

"C" Pom yahk dai ee-bae tee chai gup ai-board windsurf'

'gor.....'

"S" 'mai mee ee-bae ler krub?'

or

"S" mai mee ler krub?'

or

"S" mai kai ler krub?'

The person in the store would not use it because they would know if they had it or not. It would be you that would use it.

"C" mai mee ee-bae chai mai (basically just asking for agreance)

you could use it yourself if you walked around the store before asking anything and you cant find what you want. You can assume that they dont have what your after.

In your example....

"C" mai mee ee-bae tee chai gup board windsurd chai mai krub?

= you dont have a washer for a windsurfing board do you?

you can use it with any verb as well

Mai yark gin sak yang chai mai?

you dont want to eat anything do you?

Hope this helps!

'Pom yahk dai ee-bae tee chai gup ai-board windsurf'

'gor.....'

-'mai mee ee-bae ler krub?'

or

-'mai mee ler krub?'

or

-'mai kai ler krub?'

sorry for confusion....

shop keeper says...'gor'...i.e. hmmmmm

and I say everything else... :-)

However, my point was I cannot see saying the above line mai mee arai ler krub? in this scenario or most others....thanks for the ideas for speaking though; good grammar :-)

The scenario that springs to mind:

Customer: 'mii goretex mai khrap'

Customer - Do you have GoreTex?

Shopkeeper: 'mai mii naalikaa Rolex khrap'

Shopkeeper - We don't have Rolex watches.

Customer: 'mai mii arai na khrap'

Customer - You don't have what, sorry?

Shopkeeper: 'naalikaa Rolex khrap. rao mai mii naalikaa yii haw Rolex khraphom'

Shopkeeper - Rolex watches. We do not have watches of the make Rolex.

Customer: 'ooh. songsai rao khaojai phit kan laeo khrap. phom mai dai maai theung naalikaa. phom yaak dai rawng thaao thii tham jaak goretex khrap. Goretex nii bpen wadthu chanit neung thii kan fon dai dii.'

Customer - Oh, I think we misunderstand each other. I didn't mean watches. I'd like shoes made from GoreTex. GoreTex is a type of rainproof material.

You can also say

mai mee arai tee pom chop

(You dont have anything that I like)

mai mee arai tee pom yark dai

(You dont have anything that I want to get)

You can also say

mai mee arai tee pom chop

(You dont have anything that I like)

mai mee arai tee pom yark dai

(You dont have anything that I want to get)

Jai glah mahk. If I said things like this, I would probably get a smack upside the head

You can also say

mai mee arai tee pom chop

(You dont have anything that I like)

mai mee arai tee pom yark dai

(You dont have anything that I want to get)

Jai glah mahk. If I said things like this, I would probably get a smack upside the head

Granted there is certainly a time and a place to say this and with your Fan, wife or gik is certainly not one of them. I was thinking more likely if you were choosing curtains or tiles or something and nothing appealed. It is always a good laugh though when you say with a smile mai mee arai tee pom aow don ni... but run or duck!

Granted there is certainly a time and a place to say this and with your Fan, wife or gik is certainly not one of them. I was thinking more likely if you were choosing curtains or tiles or something and nothing appealed. It is always a good laugh though when you say with a smile mai mee arai tee pom aow don ni... but run or duck!

Yep, if I said that to my mum she would NOT be happy at all!

I am not often in the market for curtains, all the hotels I go to have them already 55555555555555