Hi

 

I have just spent an hour trying unsuccessfully to find the correct classifier for "spectacles". This is a recurrent problem for me.

 

Can anyone suggest an easy  way to do this ? Ideally a list of nouns with the appropriate classifier. There used to be a Dictionary of Classifiers on the net that did this but it seems to have vanished. 

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Spectacles as in performances or as in glasses? Buy a copy of Thai-English Talking Dictionary for PC or Android or Mac. A paper version also available. See https://www.paiboonpublishing.com/thai-english-talking-software-dictionary.html

 

Spectacles as in eyeglasses as opposed to shows.

 

I have a copy of that dictionary and its list of classifiers in Appendix does not include what I am looking for.

Longdo says อัน (thing) .

I gave the RID website a look. Clicked on ลักษณนาม and found a table of consonants which has ...ภ, ม, ห, อ... no ร,ล,ว..! Does anybody know where to find nouns beginning with those missing letters or what I am doing wrongly? 

Edit: The first ‘hit’ for ลักษณนามในภาษาไทย is www.hope.dek.cc 

I think that this may be the list that you want. 

Edited April 30, 20188 yr by tgeezer
Addendum

Thanks for the info. The www.hope.dek.cc also gives อัน . Which is probably what I would have used in the absence of any other information !

Here's a Thai personal advert where the seller is selling two pairs of glasses, one Ray-Ban, the other some vintage Riooini frames.
The seller headed the advert with the title:
ขายแว่นตา 2 อัน [Two pairs of glasses for sale].
http://www.thaimtb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=154&t=1460470

There's an online classifiers dictionary at http://thai-notes.com/dictionaries/classifierdictionary.shtml

 

It gives the classifier as อัน /an/

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions. I've got quite enough to answer my question now.

pro tip:  whenever you are not sure on a classifier for an object (not people or living things) use อัน

Although it is wrong, it will keep the grammar right, and signal to the person listening that you are counting or describing a thing, and they can easily correct you if you are wrong.

 

Although there are so many classifiers, you really only need to know a few to get by.  Knowing how to count elephants is not a common situation, and if reading you'll get from context.

On 30/04/2018 at 1:15 PM, GuyDow said:

Spectacles as in eyeglasses as opposed to shows.

 

I have a copy of that dictionary and its list of classifiers in Appendix does not include what I am looking for.

If you have the Paiboon dictionary  as an app,. type either spectacles or แว่นตา and the answer also shows - and voices - the classifier - อัน.

I recommend this app as a great help, both as a dictionary and an aid to learning Thai.

I wonder how the Thai language handles a murder of crows.

14 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I wonder how the Thai language handles a murder of crows.

 

And I wonder why the English language has a murder of crows (originally a murther of crowes).