Are you confused when to use the words ไป/bpai/ or มา/maa/ ? Do you wonder why sometimes they are both in the same sentence. Watch this video til the end to clear up any confusions you may have.
The basic words ไป/bpai/ which means “to go” and มา/maa/ which means “to come” are used all the time in everyday life. HOWEVER besides this usual meaning, both words are used as “DIRECTIONAL VERB” which means they are used to indicate whether the action of the verb is directed towards or away from the speaker.
The verbs ไป /bpai/ (‘to go’) and มา /maa/ (‘to come’) are used after a number of motion verbs or verb phrases as ‘direction verb’ to indicate whether the action of the verb is directed towards or away from the speaker.
What is the motion verbs?
They are verbs or action that talk about moving from one place to another.
For example:
ย้าย /yáai/ (to move), เดิน /dern/ (to walk), วิ่ง /wîng/ (to run), ขับรถ /kàp rót/ (to drive), นั่งแท็กซี่ /nâng táek-sîi/ (to take a taxi), ขี่ม้า /kìi máa/
When using these verbs in Thai language you always need the directional verbs if you talk about moving from one place to another.
Let me give you an example:
The scenario is I am the speaker and I am in Hua Hin. I want to tell you that Mod moved to live in Samui island. I would say…
มดย้ายไป อยู่เกาะสมุย
/mód yáai bpai yùu gò sà mŭi/
ย้าย /yáai/ is the motion verb
ไป /bpai/ is the direction verb telling that the action is away from where I am now. I am the speaker and I am in Hua Hin. Koh Samui is away from where I am.
Let me change the scenario.
If the scenario is I am in Samui island. I want to tell you that Mod moved to live in Samui island. I would say…
มดย้ายมา อยู่เกาะสมุย
/Mod yáai maa yùp gò sà mŭi/
You see that now the action is coming towards me so I use the directional verb มา /maa/.
Let’s have a look at another example:
The scenario is I am at home with my mom. My mom is hungry so she is going to walk to a 7Eleven to grab something to eat. I will tell you that:
แม่จะเดินไป 7 Eleven
/mâe jà dern bpai se-wên ee-lé-wên/
เดิน /dern/ means “walk” . It is the motion verb.
ไป /bpai/ is used as directional verb telling that the action is going away from me the speaker.
If I change the scenario, I am standing in front of 7 Elven. I want to tell you that my mom us walking to 7Elven. What would I say? …
แม่จะเดิน มา 7Eleven
/mâe jà dern maa se-wên ee-lé-wên/
I think you now have a better understanding how to use the directional verb ไป or มา.
Have a look at this phone conversation:
ขอโทษนะคะ พ่อโทรมา
/kăw-tôot ná ká, pâw too maa/
Excuse me, my dad is calling.
สวัสดีค่ะพ่อ
/sà-wàt-dii kâ pâw/
Hello, daddy.
อาทิตย์นี้เหรอคะ
/aa-tít níi lăw ká/
This week?
อาทิตย์นี้ไม่อยู่บ้านค่ะ
/ aa-tít níi mâi yùu bâan kâ/
This week, I will not be home.
เราจะไปเชียงใหม่ค่ะ
/rao jà bpai chiang mài kâ/
We are going to Chiang Mai.
จะนั่งรถไฟไปค่ะ
/jà nâng rót-fai bpai kâ/
We will take a train.
แล้วก็จะนั่งเครื่องบินกลับมา
/láew-gâw jà nâng krûeang-bin glàp maa/
And we will take a plane back.
หมาเหรอคะ
/ măa lăw ká/
The dog?
จะพาไปฝากเพื่อนค่ะ
/jà paa bpai fàak pûean kâ/
I will take him to leave with my friend.
From the dialogue, there are four sentences using directional verbs.
- พ่อโทรมา / pâw too maa/ My dad called.
The verb โทร/too/ which means “to telephone” also needs a directional verb ไป/bpai/ or มา /maa/.
- If someone calls you , you would say โทรมา /too maa/
- If you call someone, you would say โทรไป /too bpai/
Example:
ฉันจะโทรไปหาแม่คืนนี้
/chán jà too bpai hăa mâe kuen níi/
I will call my mom tonight
Notice: There is an extra word หา /hăa/ after โทรมา /too maa/.
- เราจะนั่งรถไฟไปเชียงใหม่ /rao jà nâng rót-fai baai chiang-mài/
We will take a train to Chiang Mai.
When taking a vehicle to somewhere, we use the word นั่ง /nâng/ which means to “sit” as a verb (you sit in the vehicle) and follow by a directional verb ไป /bpai/ or มา /maa/
2. จะนั่งเครื่องบินกลับมาบ้าน /jà nâng krûeang-bin glàp maa bâan/
We will fly back home.
นั่งเครื่องบิน/nâng krûeang-bin/ means to take a airplane, you are a passenger so you sit in the plane therefore we use the word นั่ง /nâng/ as a verb.
And because you fly back, the word กลับ /glàp/ which means “back or return” is added before putting the directional verb มา /maa/
3. จะพาหมาไปฝากเพื่อน /jà paa măa bpai fàak pûean/
I will take my dog and leave with my friend.
พา /paa/ means “to take someone to somewhere”
The structure is:
พา /paa/ + someone + ไป/bpai/ or มา /maa/ + destination
The verb “to take or to bring” is one of the common verbs that needs a directional verb ไป orมา in Thai. But our students make a mistake when using this word very often, they usually mix up the word order.
Example:
ฉัน จะ พา ลูกสาว ไป เชียงใหม่
/chán jà paa lûuk- săao bpai Chiang Mai/
I will take my daughter to Chaing Mai.
If you take or bring “things” to somewhere the word เอา /ao/ is used with the same structure:
เอา /ao/ + something + ไป/bpai/ or มา/maa/ + destination
Examples:
ฉันจะเอาคอมพิวเตอร์ไปที่ร้าน
/chán jà ao computer bpi tîi ráan/
I will bring my computer to a store.
ฉันจะเอารถไปล้าง
/chán jà ao rót bpai láang/
I will take my car to the car wash.
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