In the Thai language, noun classifiers are used often. Noun classifiers in English are used only in certain instances. In these examples, the classifier is highlighted:

"Four bunches of bananas."
"Two slices of pie."
"Six cups of coffee."

Thai, on the other hand, uses noun classifiers all the time. It is an important feature of the language that certainly must be mastered if one hopes to gain fluency in Thai.



-To use a noun classifier, place it after the noun and the number of items.

Four books.
หนังสือสี่เล่ม
NǍNG-SĚU SÈE LÊM

Seven cats.
แมวเจ็ดตัว
MAEW JÈT TUA


-To use classifiers with ordinal numbers, place it in between the noun
and the number

The first student
นักเรียนคนแรก
NÁK-RIAN KON RÂEK

The third T-shirt
เสื้อยืดตัวที่สาม
SÊUA-YÊUD TUA THÊE SǍM


-And, to use classifiers with adjectives, place it in between the noun
and the adjective

The fast car
รถคันที่วิ่งเร็ว
RÓT KAN THÊE WÎNG REW

The ugly dog
หมาตัวที่ขี้เหร่
MǍA TUA THÊE KÊE-RÀY


Here is a list of common classifiers:


อัน (AN) – for small objects, things in general

ดอก (DÀWK) – for flowers

ผล (PHǑN) – for fruit

ต้น (TÔN) – for trees

ตัว (TUA) – for animals

คน (KON) – for people

บาน (BAAN) – for windows, doors, mirrors

ขวด (KÙAT) – for bottles

ลำ (LAM) – for boats and airplanes

หลัง (LǍNG) – for houses

เล่ม (LÊM) – for books, candles

แผ่น (PHÀEN) – for pieces of paper

เส้น (SÊN) – for hair, noodles and rope

ซี่ (SÊE) – for teeth

หวี (WĚE) – for a bunch of bananas

วง (WONG) – for rings, bracelets, circles