VIDEO:The Most Commonly Confused Word “WANT”

We received a question asking how to say “I want you to do something” in Thai. This is a good question as many students often make a mistake when using the word “want” in different situations.

The word “want to do something” is อยาก yàak. When you would like to ask someone to do something we use the phrase “อยากให้ yàak hâi” and just use this simple pattern:

อยากให้ yàak hâi + someone + do something

For example;

คืนนี้ผมอยากให้คุณโทรหาผม

/kuen-níi pŏm yàak hâi kun toe-hăa pŏm/

Tonight I want you to call me.

VOCABULARY:

คืนนี้ kuen-níi – tonight

โทรหา toe-hăa – to call someone

 

ผมอยากให้คุณมาหาผม

/pŏm yàak hâi kun maa-hăa pŏm/

I want you to come to see me.

VOCABULARY:

มา maa – come

มา maa hăa – come to meet someone

 

ชั้นอยากให้คุณอยู่ตรงนี้ด้วย
/chán yàak hâi kun yùu dtrong níi dûai/

I want you to be here too.

VOCABULARY:

ตรงนี้ /dtrong-níi/ – right here

ด้วย /dûai/ – as well

 

เอเดนอยากให้แม่นั่งข้างๆ

/Aiden yàak hâi mâe nâng kâang-kâang/

Aiden wants mom to sit beside him.

VOCABULARY:

นั่ง nâng – sit

ข้างๆ kâang-kâng – beside, next to

A KEY POINT TO REMEMBER! In Thai language VERB to WANT can only be followed by VERB only!! not a noun. 

The reason that makes many students confused when using the word “want” is that in English you can say I want ‘something’  [ verb to want + object], but in Thai language VERB to WANT can only be followed by VERB only!! not a noun.

For example;

I want beer has to be said as  I want to drink beer = ผมอยากดื่มเบียร์ [pŏm yàak dùem bia]

If you want to have something in the future, or wish to get something, use the word อยากมี [yàak mee] or อยากได้ [yàak dâi] + the thing that you want to have or get.

Try these sentences:

1. I want a gift.
2. I want to give you a gift.
3. I want you to buy a gift.
4. I would like to have fried rice.

(“gift” in Thai is ของขวัญ kăwng-kwăn.)

Explanation:

• Sentence 1 is talking about want to have something in the future, therefore “want”= อยากได้ /yàak dâai/. 

I want a gift. = ผมอยากได้ของขวัญ /pŏm yàak dâai kăwng-kwăn/

• Sentence 2 is taking about want to do something , “want to = อยาก /yàak/ + verb” , want to give = อยากให้ yàak hâi

I want to give you a gift. = ผมอยากให้ของขวัญคุณ /pŏm yàak hâi kăwng-kwăn kun/

• Sentence 3 is talking about want someone to do something, therefore “want you to = อยากให้คุณ /yàak hâi kun/ 

I want you to buy a gift. = ผมอยากให้คุณซื้อของขวัญให้ผม /pŏm yàak hâi kun súe kăwng-kwăn/

• Sentence 4 is placing order, the word “เอา /ao/” or  “ขอ /kaw/” is used.

I would like to have fried rice = เอาข้าวผัด /ao kâao-pàt/ or ขอข้าวผัด /kăw kâao-pàt/

 

Learn more about VERB to WANT with this video.

 

Many students also asked when to use the word “ต้องการ /dtâwng-gaan/” which also means “want or need”.

This word is FORMAL so it is not much use everyday speech, but it is common in writing articles or news or you might hear it from some Thai songs. If we use in speech, it sounds very demanding or conveys a strong demand.

ต้องการ /dtâwng-gaan/ can be followed by both a verb/verb phrase or a noun/noun phrase.

For example;

Q:คุณต้องการอะไร /kun dtâng-gaan à-rai?/

What do you want?!

A: ผมไม่ต้องการอะไรจากคุณ /pŏm mâi dtâwng-gaan à-rai jàak kun/

I don’t want anything from you.

 

สัตว์ป่าทุกชนิดต้องการที่อาศัย
/sàt-bpàa túk chà-nít dtâwng-gaan tîi-aa-săi/

Every wild animals need shelter.

 

ผู้ประท้วงต้องการให้รัฐบาลแก้ไขปัญหา

/pûu bprà-túang dtâwng-gaan hâi rát-tá-baan gâe-kăi bpan-hăa/

The demonstrators want the government to solve problems.

 

Below is a phrase from a Thai song’s lyrics called แค่เธอที่ต้องการ kâe ter tîi dtâwng-gaan (Only you that I need)

ในชีวิตนี้แค่เธอที่ต้องการ

/nai chii-wít níi kâe ter tîi dtâwng-gaan/

In this life, I only need you.