Daily Thai Confidence: Using ยืม (yēum)

Verb: ยืม (yēum)
Meaning: to borrow

In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the verb ยืม (yēum), which means ‘to borrow’. It is used when someone takes something from another person with the intention of returning it later.

The typical structure usually follows the pattern: subject + ยืม (yēum) + object.

For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-^awyàang chên)

chǎn yēum ^hnǎng-sěu jàak p^hêuan
Literal: I borrow book from friend.
I borrowed the book from a friend.

The preposition จาก (jàak) means ‘from’ and is used to show the starting point, origin, source, or sender of something — จาก (jàak) + place / person.

k^hǎo yēum ngēuhn jàak t^hēr dēuan t^hêe-láew
Literal: He borrow money from her month last.
He borrowed money from her last month.

The word ที่แล้ว (t^hêe-láew) means ‘last’ and is used specifically to modify the time noun that comes before it in order to form adverb of time — time noun + แล้ว (t^hêe-láew). For example: สัปดาห์ที่แล้ว (sàb-dāa t^hêe-láew = last week); เดือนที่แล้ว (dēuan t^hêe-láew = last month); ปีที่แล้ว (bpēe t^hêe-láew = last year); วันศุกร์ที่แล้ว (wān-sùk t^hêe-láew = last Friday), etc.

k^hǎo mâi ^awyàak yēum ngēuhn jàak k^hrâwb-k^hrūa k^hǎwng-k^hǎo
Literal: He not want to borrow money from family.
He doesn’t want to borrow money from his family.

The verb อยาก (^awyàak) means ‘to want to’ or ‘to feel like doing something’. It is used to express a personal desire or feeling of wanting to do something. It is followed by the verb that you want to do — subject + อยาก (^awyàak) + main verb.

t^hēr mâi châwb yēum ngēuhn jàak k^hōn èun
Literal: She not like borrow money from people other.
She doesn’t like borrowing money from other people.

The word อื่น (èun) means ‘other,’ ‘another,’ or ‘different’ and is used commonly used to talk about another thing, person, or option besides the one already known. It is placed after a noun or classifier — noun / classifier + อื่น (èun). For example: ฉันอยากลองอาหารอื่น (chǎn ^awyàak lāwng āa-hǎan èun = I want to try other food.); เราไปหาร้านอื่นกันเถอะ (rāo bpāi hǎa ráan èun gān t^hèut = Let’s go find another restaurant.); ฉันอยากซื้อหนังสือเล่มอื่นไม่ใช่เล่มนี้ (chǎn ^awyàak séu ^hnǎng-sěu lêm èun, mâi châi lêm née = I want to buy a different book, not this one.

Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.

1. I borrowed a pen from my friend.
2. She borrowed money from her older sister.
3. May I borrow your phone?
4. Can I borrow your pen for a moment?
5. I borrowed a dictionary from the teacher.

About Post Author

Urai Khomkham

Hi, I’m Urai Khomkham, a Thai language teacher and the creator of Thai Language Tuition UK. I help learners understand how Thai really works, so they can stop guessing and start feeling confident using the language in real life. Inside the community, I share clear lessons, practical explanations, and gentle guidance to support steady, meaningful progress — without pressure or overwhelm. I also share free Thai lessons and learning tips on my YouTube channel, where I break things down step by step and help you build strong foundations at your own pace. By subscribing, you’re not only supporting your own learning — you’re also helping me continue creating free resources to support you and other learners on their Thai journey.

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