Learn Thai Noun Classifiers

Noun Classifiers (คำลักษณนาม)

You might find ‘noun classifiers’ in Thai language hard to use. Here are some hints that will help you to go through this confusing subject.

English does not have noun classifiers, just identify an object. That is why many foreigners make a mistake when they talk about numbers of objects. In this case Thai is quite different to English because whenever Thais talk about amount of something, a noun classifier is always needed.

::Common Classifier::

::Structure: Noun + Number + Classifier::

I have two cars  =            chán mee săwng rót  à  Χ          chán mee rót săwng kan  à√

There are four dogs   =   mee seè maă   à  Χ                      mee maă seè dtua    à  √

How many bags do you have?   =  khun mee geè grà-bpaŏ?   à   Χ     khun mee grà-bpaŏ geè bai?   à  √

How many books are there?=mee geè năng-seŭh?  à    Χ         mee năng-seŭh geè lêm?  à  √

Noun Classifiers are the words used when specifying the numbers of things/objects.

*Sentence pattern*  =  object + numbers + noun classifier

*Question pattern*  =  object + geè + noun classifier

Examples: 

Maew  săwng dtua          = two cats                           แมวสองตัว

(maew = cat,  săwng = 2,    dtua = classifier for animals)

Baân saăm lăng                 = three houses                 บ้านสามหลัง

(baân = house,   saăm = 3,    lăng = classifier for house)

Sôm sìb bai                         = ten oranges                    ส้มสิบใบ

Sôm sìb loôk                      = ten oranges                    ส้มสิบลูก

(sôm = oranges,    sìb = 10,     bai/loôk = classifier for fruits)

Q: Khun mee rót geè kan?           คุณมีรถกี่คัน          = How many cars do you have?

A: Chán mee rót săwng kan         ฉันมีรถสองคัน       = I have two cars

(rót = cars,     săwng = 2,   kan = classifier for cars,   geè = how many?)  

Q: Khun mee rawng-taó geè koô?            คุณมีรองเท้ากี่คู่    = How many pairs of shoes do you have?

A: Pŏm mee rawng-taó seè koô                ผมมีรองเท้าสี่คู่      = I have four pairs

(rawng-taó = shoes,    seè = 4,   koô = classifier for shoes,   geè = how many?)

** Geè…(classifier)…? กี่ = How many?  Always used with noun classifiers

** Taô-raì?  เท่าไหร่    = How much?  Not required ‘noun classifiers’. It can be used alone.

Kru Mulan