Unusual Classifiers

[Neeranam]

I am constantly surprised at some of the classifiers I hear, they don't seem to make any sense.

As in another thread, knife/book - "lem", newspaper - "chabap"

Boiled egg - look

Fried Egg - fong (I have never heard any other things with "fong")

Any rules?

I get confused with "bai" and "pen" a lot. I suppose the must be interchangeable.

Also, what do you say for 4pm.

I was taught "Bai see mong", and have heard natives use it, but on many occasions some have told me it is wrong and it is "see mong yen"

Maybe something like evening/ afternoon in Scotland, no set time for the change.

Cheers

Neeranam

[Richard W]

I am constantly surprised at some of the classifiers I hear, they don't seem to make any sense.

As in another thread, knife/book - "lem", newspaper - "chabap"

"Chabap" is also used for (private) letters. I don't know about postcards. It supposed to be the classifier for "documents". As for the difference with "lem" - books used to be scrolls, and scrolls had handles, as you may have seen in film of Jewish holy books for use in synagogues.

Boiled egg - look

Fried Egg - fong (I have never heard any other things with "fong")

Any rules?

Don't use "fong" in rough company?

It's the proper classifier for 'egg', but was little used even 50 years ago.

I get confused with "bai" and "pen" a lot. I suppose the must be interchangeable.

I presume you mean "bai" and "luuk". "bai" is the classifier for containers - I suppose the connection is that polythene bags replaced banana leaves. I think "luuk" is for small round fruit, but I may have it the wrong way round. "luuk" is also used for testicles.

Also, what do you say for 4pm.

I was taught "Bai see mong", and have heard natives use it, but on many occasions some have told me it is wrong and it is "see mong yen"

Maybe something like evening/ afternoon in Scotland, no set time for the change.

I think that's it exactly.

[Neeranam]

QUOTE

I get confused with "bai" and "pen" a lot. I suppose the must be interchangeable.

I presume you mean "bai" and "luuk". "bai" is the classifier for containers - I suppose the connection is that polythene bags replaced banana leaves. I think "luuk" is for small round fruit, but I may have it the wrong way round. "luuk" is also used for testicles.

Thanks for that Richard. I have heard "pen" a lot when talking about things like sheets of paper, cds, and postcards.

[bina]

"luuk" is also used for testicles

as in kai neng luuk? ( one testicle ?) why would you have to classify a testicle unless they are being served on a plate?

[snowleopard]

  I get confused with "bai" and "pen" a lot. I suppose the must be interchangeable.

I presume you mean "bai" and "luuk". "bai" is the classifier for containers - I suppose the connection is that polythene bags replaced banana leaves. I think "luuk" is for small round fruit, but I may have it the wrong way round. "luuk" is also used for testicles

Thanks for that Richard. I have heard "pen" a lot when talking about things like sheets of paper, cds, and postcards.

I have heard "pen" a lot when talking about things like sheets of paper, cds, and postcards.

Hi there.

I'm sure you're referring to แผ่น "paen" which is a classifier for flat objects and such!

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[snowleopard]

"luuk" is also used for testicles

as in kai neng luuk? ( one testicle ?) why would you have to classify a testicle unless they are being served on a plate?

why would you have to classify a testicle

Adolf Hitler มีลูกอัณฑะแต่ข้างเดี่ยว "Adolf Hitler mee loohk ahn-tah dtae khang dee-o"=Poor little Adolf had only one ball.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[username2004]

Boiled egg - look

Fried Egg - fong (I have never heard any other things with "fong")

Quite of weird -- but that's correct. I have never heard someone say "ไข่เจียวหนึ่งลูก" (kai jeaw neung look = a fried beaten egg) or "ไข่ดาวหนึ่งลูก" (kai doa neung look = a fried egg).

"Fong" is the correct and always-used classifier for fried eggs as well as (raw) eggs.

ไข่เยี่ยวม้า (kai yeow maa = a duck's egg preserved in potash or ammonia) is also classified as "look."

[bluesofa]

The two most unusual classifiers I can think of are:

เลา for flutes

เชือก for elephants

[thaiflyer1]

Deleted post.

[Ajarn]

As in another thread, knife/book - "lem",

My teacher explained that this describes the 'spine' of a book or knife (the blunt edge)

Whenever I use the laksananaam (classifier) 'fong', I can't help but picture Charlie Chan. Just one of those weird brain things, I guess..

If in doubt, I usually use 'aan'. 'nung aan' (1 thing). Never had any blank looks.

Also, what do you say for 4pm.

I was taught "Bai see mong", and have heard natives use it, but on many occasions some have told me it is wrong and it is "see mong yen"

The time thing takes awhile to get used to.....sii mong can be 4 in the afternoon(actually, first hour of Thai evening), or 10 in the morning....Sometimes you don't get the whole phrase, 'sii mong yen, or sii mong chaw, so you work from (hopefully) common sense. I ofen ask a confirmation question, like 'tawn chaw, chay mai?' 4am would be 'tii sii', or sii nalika (04:00 hrs) military time...Just the 1-24 number, followed by nalika, 3:15 pm would be 'siphaa nalika siphaa nathii'. Miltary time is always used by the government