Words Without A Classifier

[tally]

Hello,

as my Thai is (slowly!) getting better, I am trying to memorise the main classifiers.

However I have come across some words (for example: คำ - 'word') without a classifier (or where the word in itself is the classifier, whatever). So for example I can say สองคำ '(two words') and it's correct.

Now my question is.... is there a list of all the Thai words (such as คำ) that don't require a classifier? If there is, can anyone point me in the right direction please?

Many thanks in advance

[tgeezer]

I have a page in my 'favourites' and have copied the address:

http://www.royin.go.th/th/profile/index.php?SystemModuleKey=265&SystemMenuID=1&SystemMenuIDS=

If you find the page headed คำชี้แจง the foot of the page has numbers for the pages containing the words with their ลักษณนาม . 2,3,4, are ก ข ค so if you try 4 you will see คำ with its ลักษณนาม .

[expat_4_life]

Post removed

Edited February 28, 2013 by expat_4_life

[tally]

I have a page in my 'favourites' and have copied the address:

http://www.royin.go.th/th/profile/index.php?SystemModuleKey=265&SystemMenuID=1&SystemMenuIDS=

If you find the page headed คำชี้แจง the foot of the page has numbers for the pages containing the words with their ลักษณนาม . 2,3,4, are ก ข ค so if you try 4 you will see คำ with its ลักษณนาม .

Thank you - now it's in my favourites too

[TommoPhysicist]

Classifiers are for objects that exist and you can count.

[AyG]

I'm not sure it's correct to say that there are nouns without classifiers - though the classifier can be what is traditionally thought of as a traditional classifier, a unit of measurement , or the word itself.

When you say "สองคำ" it's really shorthand for "คำสองคำ". That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

At least, that's how I understand things.

[tally]

I'm not sure it's correct to say that there are nouns without classifiers - though the classifier can be what is traditionally thought of as a traditional classifier, a unit of measurement , or the word itself.

When you say "สองคำ" it's really shorthand for "คำสองคำ". That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

At least, that's how I understand things.

I get your point, thank you for the explanation.

That's what I meant when I stated that the word in itself is the classifier.

[richsilver]

I believe every noun has a classifier. As has been pointed out, the classifier can be the noun itself, but there is always one. Sometimes there are many classifiers for the same same noun like bottles of beer, kegs of beer, glasses of beer or reams of paper, sheets of paper bundles of paper.

A good dictionary will list classifiers along with the nouns and of course you should memorize them along with the noun the same as you would memorzie the gender of a noun in French or Spanish.

Edited February 28, 2013 by richsilver

[tgeezer]

I believe every noun has a classifier. As has been pointed out, the classifier can be the noun itself, but there is always one. Sometimes there are many classifiers for the same same noun like bottles of beer, kegs of beer, glasses of beer or reams of paper, sheets of paper bundles of paper.

A good dictionary will list classifiers along with the nouns and of course you should memorize them along with the noun the same as you would memorzie the gender of a noun in French or Spanish.

Uncountable things like rice, sand, beer, paper, string, etc. wont be found in the link I posted because they are simply explained by means of measure, container or form.

[katana]

Mary Haas' dictionary also gives classifiers.

http://www.sealang.net/thai/dictionary.htm

[Neeranam]

I have a page in my 'favourites' and have copied the address:

http://www.royin.go.th/th/profile/index.php?SystemModuleKey=265&SystemMenuID=1&SystemMenuIDS=

If you find the page headed คำชี้แจง the foot of the page has numbers for the pages containing the words with their ลักษณนาม . 2,3,4, are ก ข ค so if you try 4 you will see คำ with its ลักษณนาม .

Thank you - now it's in my favourites too

Mine too - thanks.

[Roota]

That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

There are exceptions to this in colloquial speech. For example sometimes instead of ผู้หญิงสองคน you'll hear สองผู้หญิง. But as in so many other areas of Thai, as a non-native speaker it's usually better to err on the side of correctness and use the classifier.

[AyG]

That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

There are exceptions to this in colloquial speech. For example sometimes instead of ผู้หญิงสองคน you'll hear สองผู้หญิง. But as in so many other areas of Thai, as a non-native speaker it's usually better to err on the side of correctness and use the classifier.

Is this true? สองผู้หญิง occurs in phrases such as รถบ้าน มือที่สองผู้หญิงขับ, but here ผู้หญิง is functioning as an as an adjective. It's a different type of grammatical construction.

[tgeezer]

That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

There are exceptions to this in colloquial speech. For example sometimes instead of ผู้หญิงสองคน you'll hear สองผู้หญิง. But as in so many other areas of Thai, as a non-native speaker it's usually better to err on the side of correctness and use the classifier.

Is this true? สองผู้หญิง occurs in phrases such as รถบ้าน มือที่สองผู้หญิงขับ, but here ผู้หญิง is functioning as an as an adjective. It's a different type of grammatical construction.

It is never acceptable as Thai it is English converted to Thai, but I can't think what that says.

House car hand-second woman drive. Or

House car hand which two women drive.

Is it an advertisement: second hand house car, lady driver. .?

[AyG]

That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

There are exceptions to this in colloquial speech. For example sometimes instead of ผู้หญิงสองคน you'll hear สองผู้หญิง. But as in so many other areas of Thai, as a non-native speaker it's usually better to err on the side of correctness and use the classifier.

Is this true? สองผู้หญิง occurs in phrases such as รถบ้าน มือที่สองผู้หญิงขับ, but here ผู้หญิง is functioning as an as an adjective. It's a different type of grammatical construction.

It is never acceptable as Thai it is English converted to Thai, but I can't think what that says.

House car hand-second woman drive. Or

House car hand which two women drive.

Is it an advertisement: second hand house car, lady driver. .?

It is Thai, taken from one of a number of results searching Google for "สองผู้หญิง", all of which have a similar grammatical structure.

It means "Camper van, second hand, women drivers" or, less literally, "Second hand camper van for sale. Two previous women owners."

[tgeezer]

That is, where the subject and the classifier are the same it's OK to omit the subject.

There are exceptions to this in colloquial speech. For example sometimes instead of ผู้หญิงสองคน you'll hear สองผู้หญิง. But as in so many other areas of Thai, as a non-native speaker it's usually better to err on the side of correctness and use the classifier.

Is this true? สองผู้หญิง occurs in phrases such as รถบ้าน มือที่สองผู้หญิงขับ, but here ผู้หญิง is functioning as an as an adjective. It's a different type of grammatical construction.

It is never acceptable as Thai it is English converted to Thai, but I can't think what that says.

House car hand-second woman drive. Or

House car hand which two women drive.

Is it an advertisement: second hand house car, lady driver. .?

It is Thai, taken from one of a number of results searching Google for "สองผู้หญิง", all of which have a similar grammatical structure.

It means "Camper van, second hand, women drivers" or, less literally, "Second hand camper van for sale. Two previous women owners."

Well I guessed it right then, not familiar with camper. There is no grammatical structure as far as I can see it is a form of shorthand like newspapers use.

Second hand is ที่ใช้แล้ว normally มือสอง in shorthand, มือที่สอง is English. ที่สอง would make the vehicle the second one in a series.

You can only use สอง once, so either the second one or two women.

Edit I forgot it was มือnot รถ so the มือที่สอง means the second hand,

Edit again. I looked in Google, didn't find cars but there is plenty of second hand stuff, it is สิ่งของมือสองผูหญิง which is read: second hand, lady's things.

I guess you put มือที่สอง unconsciously, the examples don't have it.

There is a song ผู้หญิงมือสอง too.

Edited March 5, 2013 by tgeezer

[coma]

The use of Thai classifiers is most important and Thais will take into consideration your ability to use them when they are assessing how well you know and speak the language. This is pretty indepth but if you know it then you are on your game as far as Thai language is concerned.

http://www.thaigoodview.com/library/studentshow/st2545/5-5/no22/example.html

Good luck and enjoy.