Word Order

[wasabi]

I'm at the point in my Thai studies where I'm learning the classifiers. I've almost mastered how the adjective goes after after the noun in Thai, for example you would say Rot Dang for red car, or how posessive goes after a noun, like panraya kong pom for my wife, but with classifiers the challenge seems one level beyond me. what are some tips maybe mnemonics to help remember the word order when you start getting into longer sentences that include classifers?

Edited February 6, 2006 by wasabi

[chippie]

I always liken it to 'A loaf of bread'. You wouldn't say can I have 3 breads please, you would say can I have some bread, 3 loafs please. The same in thai, kor beer- song kuat krap. Works for me anyway.

[HarryHerb]

Strictly speaking, it's not rot daeng, but

(rot) kan daeng (car - classifier - red)

The order is generally

object + classifier + adjective (or other descriptive word / number)

e.g. this book: nang seu lem nii

or the black cat: maew tua si dam

or 3 packs of cigarettes: burii sahm sawng

In the case of an adjective and a description of quantity you probably ought to repeat the classifier:

object + classifier + adjective + number + classifier

e.g. 2 red cars: rot kan daeng sawng kan

In practice you can usually leave out the first classifier as it all becomes too long and just use the classifier before the number

object + adjective + number + classifier

e.g. 3 yellow boats: reua sii leuang sahm lam

Hope this is clear. Somehow I suspect not.

[Johpa]

Strictly speaking, it's not rot daeng, but

(rot) kan daeng (car - classifier - red)

Now that I think about it, I rarely hear in common speech a color ascribed to the classifier. I hear "rot deng" and perhaps more cpmmonly " rot sii deng" buy it is not that common to hear " rot kan daeng".

[meadish_sweetball]

Based on my experience, you'd use 'rot kan (sii) daeng' when you have to distinguish it or single it out from another car.

[Swelters]

Try learning to think in thai grammar, you can see a good example at:

http://www.auntiedahtestsite.blogspot.com/

Keep at it, and pretty soon you'll be speaking english this way too

[samran]

'Kan' is also the classifier for cutlery (sp?). Go figure...

I must admit, I'm pretty crappy when it comes to knowing all the classifiers, resorting to 'dua' or 'un' when my memory fails me.

[meadish_sweetball]

Lots of native Thais have problems remembering all classifiers as well.