ว่า

Content, Naming and Criticism with ว่า

Level 3

The first two examples use ว่า to introduce reported content. เรียกว่า and แปลว่า occur in questions about names and meanings. In the criticism examples, read the verb and the following words in their complete context. These uses are not all interchangeable with English “that.”

How It Works

Read the displayed reports
In เขาบอกว่าเขาจะไปพรุ่งนี้, บอกว่า introduces the report that he will go tomorrow. จะ and พรุ่งนี้ supply the prospective and tomorrow context. The English past tense of said is selected; the report does not establish that he actually goes. In ฉันได้ยินว่าคุณจะย้ายบ้าน, ได้ยินว่า introduces what the speaker heard about a planned house move. The linked บอกว่า, คิดว่า and รู้ว่า are comparisons for speech, thought and knowing content, not proof that every reported claim is true.

Names and meanings
สิ่งนี้เรียกว่าอะไร asks what this thing is called. Read เรียกว่า functionally as be called, without translating ว่า as the demonstrative that. คำนี้แปลว่าอะไร asks what this word means. แปลว่า is read as a complete meaning phrase in this question; this does not establish an obligatory pattern or frequency for every definition.

Criticism
อย่ามาว่าฉันนะ requests that the listener not criticize the speaker. มา remains represented in the segmented gloss, and นะ is an utterance-ending particle; the written sentence does not prove a particular emotional tone. แม่ว่าฉันว่าขี้เกียจ is read as Mom scolding me and calling me lazy. The first ว่า expresses scolding, and the second introduces the criticism. The selected English past tense and the criticism itself do not establish when the action occurred or whether I was lazy.

The two requested comparisons
The first task requests ดีใจที่คุณมา, [I am] glad that you came, with ที่. Its omitted experiencer and selected English past reading come from the task context. The other displayed form with ว่า does not supply the requested construction. Compare the linked ที่ topic in its own context; this is not a rule assigning every emotion or every English that clause to one marker.

The second task requests บอกให้เขาไป, tell him to go. บอกว่าเขาไป instead reports a statement about his going and can be meaningful in another context. This task distinguishes an instruction from that report; it does not ban ว่า before every reported directive. The linked relative-clause comparison likewise should be read in a complete construction rather than treated as an interchangeable substitute for ว่า.

Examples (6)

  1. เขาบอกว่าเขาจะไปพรุ่งนี้

    He said that he will go tomorrow.

    Word by Word: he | say | that | he | will | go | tomorrow

    บอกว่า introduces the reported plan. จะ and พรุ่งนี้ give the prospective and tomorrow context; the past tense of said is selected, and the report does not prove the trip occurs.

  2. ฉันได้ยินว่าคุณจะย้ายบ้าน

    I heard that you will move house.

    Word by Word: I | hear | that | you | will | move house

    ได้ยินว่า introduces the information heard, and จะ supplies the prospective context. English heard is a selected past reading; the sentence does not prove the move occurs.

  3. สิ่งนี้เรียกว่าอะไร

    What is this thing called?

    Word by Word: this thing | be called | what

    Read เรียกว่า as the complete naming phrase be called in this question. ว่า is not the demonstrative that here.

  4. อย่ามาว่าฉันนะ

    Do not criticize me.

    Word by Word: do not | come | criticize | me | นะ [utterance-ending particle]

    ว่า expresses criticism in this request. The segmented gloss retains มา and นะ; the functional translation does not require physical arrival or certify an emotional tone.

  5. แม่ว่าฉันว่าขี้เกียจ

    Mom scolded me, calling me lazy.

    Word by Word: Mom | scold | me | that | lazy

    The first ว่า expresses scolding and the second introduces the laziness criticism. The past tense is selected; the criticism does not establish that I was lazy.

  6. คำนี้แปลว่าอะไร

    What does this word mean?

    Word by Word: this word | mean | what

    แปลว่า is read functionally as mean in this question about the word. This example does not establish a frequency or obligatory pattern for every definition.

Common Mistakes

  • Use the requested ดีใจที่ construction.

    ดีใจว่าคุณมา
    ดีใจที่คุณมา

    The task requests ดีใจที่คุณมา, [I am] glad that you came. The experiencer is omitted, and the English past reading is selected in context. Retain ที่ for this task rather than the displayed ว่า substitution; this is not a universal rule for every emotion or fact.

  • Use the requested instruction with ให้.

    บอกว่าเขาไป
    บอกให้เขาไป

    The task requests บอกให้เขาไป, tell him to go. บอกว่าเขาไป instead reports a statement about his going and can be meaningful in another context. This does not ban ว่า in every report containing a directive.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ว่าLevel 3Content, Naming and Criticism with ว่า

Learn This First

The pattern 'ว่า' acts as a complementizer (like 'that' in English) used to link a verb of cognition or communication (like 'think', 'say', or 'know') to a full clause. To use it, you must already be comfortable forming basic Thai sentences using Subject-Verb-Object order, as you are essentially nesting one sentence inside another.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ว่า