Jingjok
How to say where are you from?
in Thai
มาจากไหน
maa jàak nǎi
where are you from?
Add ครับ (kráp) if you are a man or ค่ะ (kâ) if you are a woman. It makes the sentence polite, and Thais always use it.
Literally 'come from where?'. Put คุณ or พี่ in front to aim it at someone.
- Where
- small-talk
- Register
- polite
What they will say back
- มาจากอังกฤษครับmaa jàak ang-grìt krápFrom England.
The culture behind it
CULTURE
The three questions, and why they're kind
Words inside it
From the same situation: Who's who
- พี่older brother or sister; you (to someone a bit older)
- น้องyounger brother or sister; you (to someone younger)
- ลุงuncle (older man)
- ป้าauntie (older woman)
- น้าauntie or uncle (younger than your parents)
- อาauntie or uncle (father's younger sibling)
- คนperson, people
- ฝรั่งWesterner (white foreigner)
All 65 words and phrases in “Who's who” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Jingjok drills มาจากไหน until you can say it without thinking, then shows you where to use it today. Answer the three questions every Thai asks a foreigner, ask them back, and address people with the right family word.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.