Language/Thai/Grammar/Nouns

Thai Grammar - Nouns

Hi Thai learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will dive into Thai nouns, which are essential to have conversations in Thai. You will learn how to identify and use nouns, gender, and proper ways to use classifiers. Get your notebooks ready and let's start!

Introduction

A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea. In Thai, nouns are commonly used in daily conversations. Knowing how to use them is crucial to understand the structure of the language.

In this lesson, you will learn the following:

• Noun gender
• Classifiers
• Singular and plural nouns
• Proper ways to use nouns

Let's get started! 😁

Gender

In Thai, there are two genders - masculine and feminine.

A gender is indicated in several ways.

1. A male/female honorific may be used before a noun. For example, "khun" is used before a masculine name and "nong" before a feminine name.

2. A vowel ending of a noun can indicate a gender. For instance, "chao" (men) and "chom" (women).

3. The last consonant of a noun also gives a clue to its gender. Words ending with "ก" (k) and "ึก" (uk) are usually masculine, while "า" (aa) and " ีย์" (ii) endings are often a sign of feminine nouns.

Example:

Thai	Pronunciation	English
ชาย	chaai	man
หญิง	ying	woman

Classifiers

Classifiers are used to measure, quantify or describe a noun. Unlike English, Thai uses classifiers whenever a noun is modified with an adjective or a number. The chosen classifier often depends on the shape, size, and type of noun.

For instance, "ไข่" (khai- egg) would not follow the same classifier as "ผัก" (phak- vegetable).

Here is some examples of classifiers:

Classifier	Used for
ลูก	people and animals
ชิ้น	food and fabric
ก้อน	rocks and lumps
กระชาก	luggage and bags

Pay attention to classifiers when using numbers as well. The classifier always follows the number and precedes the noun. The use of classifiers is important to make your speech sound more natural.

Example:

• Person 1: ฉันต้องการ สาม หน้า บ้าน ชิ้น (chăn dtông gaan săam nâa băan chín)
• Person 2: เข้าใจแล้วคะ ไม่ต้องใช้คำว่า "ชิ้น" จะดีกว่า (kâo jai láew ká. mâi dtông chái kam wâa "chín" jà dee gwàa)

Translation:

• Person 1: "I need to buy three houses."
• Person 2: "Understood, it's better not to use "ชิ้น" (classifier for food) in this context."

Singular and Plural Nouns

In Thai, the plural marker is not used to show more than one noun. Instead, specific numbers or words are employed to denote a count. Also, the same noun is used to represent both singular and plural forms. Definiteness is indicated within the sentence.

Examples:

Thai	Pronunciation	English
กบ	gòp	frog (singular or plural)
เดือน	deuan	month(s)

Proper use of Nouns

Nouns in Thai differ slightly from English in how they are used in sentences. The most important thing to remember is the order of the sentence. Nouns always come first, followed by adjectives and other modifiers.

Here are some examples:

• ฉันชอบคนสวย (chăn chaawp kon sŭai)

Translation: "I like beautiful people."

• ผมชอบกินก๋วยเตี๋ยวลูกชิ้น (phŏm chaawp gin gwai-dtĭao lûuk-chín)

Translation: "I like to eat noodles with pork."

Tips

To improve your understanding of Thai Grammar, you can use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! You can also read more about Thai Grammar on our website.

Sources

• Thai Language
• Thai Grammar
• Thai Phonology

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