need help with this phrase

[micke]

Hello, everyone.
I posted my question in the beginners' forum. Perhaps that was the wrong place, since nobody could answer my question.
Here it is...


Is this the correct way to say "Do you know (or do you have) her address?":

" คุณทราบที่อยู่ของเธอไหมครับ "

Which word is the best to use in the above question, " ทราบ " or " มี "?


And when do I use " หรือเปล่า "?


I will appreciate any help!

[Surawut]

IMO the most common way a Thai would ask that is; " คุณมีที่อยู่ของเธอไหมครับ? "

Another common way "คุณมีที่อยู่ของเขาไหมครับ?

You could ask it this way as well; คุณมีที่อยู่ของเธอหรือเปล่าครับ?

You can use ทราบ but that is a bit more formal.

[micke]

Thanks for a very fast reply!

[TKPang02]

ทราบ is a formal way to say รู้
ทราบไหม = รู้ไหม

[Bangplee]

หรือเปล่า? is the same meaning to "ไหม"

therefore the pharse คุณมีที่อยู่ของเธอหรือเปล่า? and คุณมีที่อยู่ของเธอไหม?
are the same meaning.

[Tod-Daniels]

หรือเปล่า? is the same meaning to "ไหม"

therefore the pharse คุณมีที่อยู่ของเธอหรือเปล่า? and คุณมีที่อยู่ของเธอไหม?
are the same meaning.

We can take some creative license when translating Thai into the equivalent engrish phrasing but I don't believe that ไหม (often written as it's spoken มั้ย) and หรือเปล่า (again often written and spoken more like รึป่าว) have the same meaning when they are used in questions.

The 'question tag word' ไหม simply denotes the preceding sentence is interogative or ends with a question mark. In fact if you think of the Thai word ไหม (or มั้ย) as nothing more than a way to read or voice a 'question mark' when it comes at the end of a sentence, you'll be better off. In engrish when we phrase a question we give the last word of the sentence a rising tone. Because in engrish we use inntonation to carry emotive or other meanings with words depending on how we say them. Seeing as Thai is a tonal language we can't change the tone of a word AT ALL or it's a completely different word. This is why they came up with a word which in written and spoken Thai is a 'question mark' (when it ends a sentence). I think it's just coincidental that it also happens to be a rising tone, lol. ..

I've always translated หรือเปล่า (or again รึป่าว) into a question which ends in 'or not'. Like; Do you have her address or not?

In the first question which ends in ไหม; "Do you have/know her address?"; if they know it or have it they'd repeat the verb มี or รึ and then give it to you. If they didn't they'd probably say ไม่มี or ไม่รึ. In the sentence that ends in หรือเปล่า; if they had it they'd repeat the verb มี (or รึ) like the earlier construct, but if they don't know it they'd just say เปล่า as a way to answer they don't have or know it. It is a little confusing as the word เปล่า in most cases means 'empty' or 'plain'; unless it's used as the question tag หรือเปล่า when to me it means more like 'or not'.

As far as my thoughts about using ทราบ or รู้ in the sentence constructs. You're never ever gonna be looked down on by any Thai in this country for speaking a little more formally than necessary. The same cannot be said for speaking too casually. If you speak colloquially with people who you don't know, or aren't in your ‘circle of friends’ you can and often are looked down on.

FWIW; ทราบ isn't all that formal of a word in a sentence construct when asking about facts or information you don't know. In fact ไม่ทราบว่า is a very common and useful phrase to use and means close to "(I) don't know..." if or that. Notice I left off the first person pronoun ผม or ฉัน because if you are speaking, you don't need to say it. The thais know you're talking about yourself already. Now when you ask someone IF they know something you’d use the second person pronoun คุณทราบว่า which means “Do you know. ..” if or that...

I hope this wasn't too long and didn't muddy the water even more for you.

[normalblue]

Another way that more polite is
คุณพอจะทราบที่อยู่ของเธอหรือเปล่าครับ (just want)
คุณพอจะมีที่อยู่ของเธอหรือเปล่าครับ (in need of)
คุณพอจะหาที่อยู่ของเธอให้ผมได้หรือเปล่าครับ (kinda know that another one has it, capable to find it)
หรือเปล่า? is a formal form. Can be used to everyone.
ไหม? usually used in short sentences or phrases. Example,
เจ็บไหม? อีกไกลไหม? มีไหม?
PS. Slang for รึเปล่า = เปล่า ex. มีที่อยู่เธอเปล่าครับ?
Hope this can help.