Classifiers

[bobthedog]

I am trying to memorize the classifiers in Thai, but it is very difficult. I wonder, how did you manage to learn?

[Rikker]

Don't try to memorize them all -- there are hundreds, most of which you'll rarely or never use. For regular use there is a subset of probably a few dozen that you will use most of the time.

Most Thais use the general classifier อัน /an/ quite a lot, more than they might admit, and more than their Thai teachers would approve of. But your Thai acquaintances might not let you get away with that the same way. As a second language learner, friends (even strangers) will correct you on things that they would never correct another native speaker on.

The essential classifiers can be found in many a basic Thai textbook, though even then some may go overboard.

Me, I learned the most useful ones through listening and mimicking. I still regularly run into something I'm not certain of the classifier for, so I use what I think it might be, and then observe how the person responds. Then I just copy them. For example, in looking for a house to rent recently, I noticed all of the advertisements (and all of the realtors) used ตัว when talking about the number of air conditioners in a house, e.g. แอร์สามตัว. My guess would have been เครื่อง, which may in fact be formally correct, too, I don't know. But you usually can't go wrong just copying the natives.

To what extent are you trying to memorize?

[bojo]

I think the most important thing to remember when trying to learn a language is that it must be fun.

With that in mind, I just learnt them as I came across them and used 'an' until corrected by locals. Trying to learn them all at once just isn't fun. I still have alot to learn.

Regards Bojo

[aanon]

Me, I learned the most useful ones through listening and mimicking. I still regularly run into something I'm not certain of the classifier for, so I use what I think it might be, and then observe how the person responds. Then I just copy them. For example, in looking for a house to rent recently, I noticed all of the advertisements (and all of the realtors) used ตัว when talking about the number of air conditioners in a house, e.g. แอร์สามตัว. My guess would have been เครื่อง, which may in fact be formally correct, too, I don't know. But you usually can't go wrong just copying the natives.

Ah, but if you'd been able to arrange a house that came with แอร์สามคน, things might have taken an interesting turn...

[SoftWater]

Me, I learned the most useful ones through listening and mimicking. I still regularly run into something I'm not certain of the classifier for, so I use what I think it might be, and then observe how the person responds. Then I just copy them. For example, in looking for a house to rent recently, I noticed all of the advertisements (and all of the realtors) used ตัว when talking about the number of air conditioners in a house, e.g. แอร์สามตัว. My guess would have been เครื่อง, which may in fact be formally correct, too, I don't know. But you usually can't go wrong just copying the natives.

Ah, but if you'd been able to arrange a house that came with แอร์สามคน, things might have taken an interesting turn...

Sorry to be a bore, i can appreciate play on the sound of "air-con" but am I missing some connotation too? What kind of a person would แอร์คน denote? Or am I trying to read too much into it? (just trying to improve my knowledge of colloquialisms!)

[aanon]

Me, I learned the most useful ones through listening and mimicking. I still regularly run into something I'm not certain of the classifier for, so I use what I think it might be, and then observe how the person responds. Then I just copy them. For example, in looking for a house to rent recently, I noticed all of the advertisements (and all of the realtors) used ตัว when talking about the number of air conditioners in a house, e.g. แอร์สามตัว. My guess would have been เครื่อง, which may in fact be formally correct, too, I don't know. But you usually can't go wrong just copying the natives.

Ah, but if you'd been able to arrange a house that came with แอร์สามคน, things might have taken an interesting turn...

Sorry to be a bore, i can appreciate play on the sound of "air-con" but am I missing some connotation too? What kind of a person would แอร์คน denote? Or am I trying to read too much into it? (just trying to improve my knowledge of colloquialisms!)

No worries. Apart from 'Air conditioning', the word แอร์ is also used for 'Air hostess'. Making the classifier คน makes it clear that it's the latter sense that is being referred to, ie. getting a house with 3 air hostesses. Just a silly joke, but seemed to fit the thread. What a difference one little classifier can make!

[Rikker]

Ah, but if you'd been able to arrange a house that came with แอร์สามคน, things might have taken an interesting turn...

lol! Interesting, yes, but then I'd have to worry about my house turning into สงครามนางฟ้า.

[aanon]

Ah, but if you'd been able to arrange a house that came with แอร์สามคน, things might have taken an interesting turn...

lol! Interesting, yes, but then I'd have to worry about my house turning into สงครามนางฟ้า.

Nice pop culture reference, Rikker. Could it be that you watch too many lakorns? Do you also know that lakorn about the 3 air conditioner delivery guys falling in love with the same rich girl? What's that called again?

Just kidding -- I hope!

aanon

[Rikker]

Nice pop culture reference, Rikker. Could it be that you watch too many lakorns? Do you also know that lakorn about the 3 air conditioner delivery guys falling in love with the same rich girl? What's that called again?

Just kidding -- I hope!

Hopefully someone will steer us back on topic, but for now I'll continue to meander...

I actually know quite little about the lakorns. I feel like my brain cells commit suicide when I watch them. I'll admit they do show inventive use of weaponry in the obligatory villainess-vs.-heroine hand-to-hand combat (like durian skin, or a bottle of acid), but I have little stomach for them.

I only remember สงครามนางฟ้า because of the hullabaloo that Thai Airways made in the mainstream press about the bad image it was giving to flight attendants. (The Thai Wikipedia article actually discusses that.)

[rgs2001uk]

For me the easiest way was to learn to read Thai.

As pointed out by a previous poster there are hundreds, most of which I will never use.

I doubt if I use more than 15 or 20.

At the local market or supermarket you will see the classifier and price written, I use the classifier thats written, eg, chin (pieces of meat or bread) wii (100 grammes) teung (bag).

I notice most Thais will use either an or bai when the classifier is unknown or they have forgotten it.

I used to have a flashcard I carried around with the most popular things I would buy, however as my reading and memory got better I soon discarded it.

Sometimes I have to consult the dictionary for obscure items such as a saw or screws etc.

[Rikker]

100 gram(me)s is a ขีด khiit -- which means 'line', referring to the lines on the scale denoting tenths of a kilogram.

For wii you're probably thinking of หวี, a cluster of bananas smaller than a bunch (usually "hand of bananas" in English). Also commonly seen on market signs.

Other common market classifiers:

โล loo (short for กิโล 'kilo')

ลูก luuk (for fruit sold in individual pieces, such as apples or asian pears)

[mangkorn]

There are some very handy little handbooks of classifiers published for Thai students, covering virtually every imaginable usage. They cost about 30 baht. Chula Bookstore is one place, but one imagines that other Thai bookstores may have them also.

[rgs2001uk]

Rikker,

thanks for correcting me, nothing gets passed you guys.

MS picked me up on incorrect spelling the other week, thanks to him as well.

The help you and all who contribute offer doesnt go unnoticed and is appreciated, thanks.

[desi]

Don't try to memorize them all -- there are hundreds, most of which you'll rarely or never use. For regular use there is a subset of probably a few dozen that you will use most of the time...

...The essential classifiers can be found in many a basic Thai textbook, though even then some may go overboard.

Or online: short list of Thai classifiers...

I usually head for online as I'm lazy.

[Oneman]

I am trying to memorize the classifiers in Thai, but it is very difficult. I wonder, how did you manage to learn?

Bob -

You will find much help in the Becker Three-Way dictionary, 2009 edition.

For almost every countable noun, the definition includes the proper classifier.

Very handy that way, since you start with the noun you want to use, and you can see the exact classifier.

On the other hand, lists of classifiers just specify the classifier and description, and it's up to you to figure it out from there.

ISBN: 978-1-887521-32-1

499 baht at the usual bookstores, and by mail from http://www.dcothai.com/

But only in the 2009 edition -- cover below -- not the older editions.

-- Oneman

Chiangmai

.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Oneman

[charlie10]

Imo classifiers are pretty complicated at the best of times and so trying to learn more than the top 20 or so most commonly used ones is not going to be helpful for you in speaking Thai. If my experience is anything to go by, you'll end up spending all your time trying to think what the main classifier is rather than getting out saying what you want to say! I've found if I ask for something but fail to use the correct classifier, the person I'm speaking to is very quick to repeat the request using the correct classifier. They can see you're making a real effort to speak the language and want to help you speak it correctly.

Thankfully a lot of commonly used classifiers are the same word as the noun they are associated with. In these everyday speaking situations you actually replace that noun with the classifier so you don't have to say the word twice, and that's why many farangs actually get away with hardly using a classifier at all. E.g Kon = person, but is also the classifier for people. Other examples of classifiers that are the same word as the noun they describe are: ‘horng’ = room, ‘dork’ = flower, ‘kuat’ = bottles, ‘gaeo’ = glasses, ‘jahn’ = plates, ‘dton’ = trees, ‘look’ = children, ‘baht’ = baht.

My advice: learn the top 20 classifiers, use the small object classifier 'an' where appropriate if the correct object classifier doesn't spring to mind (i.e when talking about any small objects) and then keep your ears peeled when this are talking to see how they use them in practice.

[Rikker]

That's good advice, Charlie10.

One important correction, though -- ลูก 'look' is not the classifier for children. I imagine that saying someone has ลูกสองลูก (or สองลูก) when one means to say "two children" would elicit either puzzlement or a chuckle from Thais. The (only) appropriate classifier in that case is, of course, คน.

[meadish_sweetball]

One more small correction:

‘gaeo’ = glasses is correct, if there is something drinkable in them. Empty glasses take the classifier 'bai' ใบ

So, 'two glasses of beer' is เบียสองแก้ว bia sawng gaeo , but two glasses (empty ones) is แก้วสองใบ gaeo sawng bai.

[kriswillems]

Classifiers are not randomly chosen, they represent a certain shape/size. There are classifiers for round things, for flat things, for sharp things, ring shaped things, things that come in pairs, living things, ....

So, instead of trying to remember the classifier for every noun, it's easier to remember the "shape and size" of the classifier.