Thai · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 12
มีแมวสองตัวI have two cats
Counting needs a classifier. Order: NOUN + NUMBER + CLASSIFIER — mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ tua (cat-two-CL), nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ sǎam lêm. tua = animals/clothing, an = default small thing, bai = flat/round, lêm = books. Don't forget the classifier, and pick the right one. New words: tua, an, bai, lêm, mɛɛo, mǎa, nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ, tó, kâoîi, kɛ̂ɛo. Reading corner: read classifier strings (mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ tua) fluently.
Dialogue
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อย่าลืมลักษณนาม— Don't Forget the Classifier
- Somchaiเจมส์มีแมวกี่ตัวครับJames, how many cats do you have?
- JamesผมมีแมวสองครับI have two cats. (slip: dropped the classifier — it must be "mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ tua")
- Somchai"แมวสองตัว"ครับแมวต้องมี"ตัว"It's "mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ tua". Cats need the classifier "tua".
- Jamesอ๋อผมมีแมวสองตัวครับOh, I have two cats!
Dialogue
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เล่ม หรือ อัน— lêm or an?
- Maleeเจมส์มีหนังสือกี่เล่มคะJames, how many books do you have?
- JamesผมมีหนังสือสามอันครับI have three books. (slip: books take "lêm", not the default "an")
- Malee"หนังสือสามเล่ม"ค่ะหนังสือใช้"เล่ม"ไม่ใช่"อัน"It's "nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ sǎam lêm". Books use "lêm", not "an".
- Jamesอ๋อผมมีหนังสือสามเล่มครับและเก้าอี้สี่ตัวOh, I have three books! And four chairs.
Vocabulary
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- ตัว
noun(classifier: animals)
- อัน
noun(classifier: things)
- ใบ
noun(classifier: flat/round)
- เล่ม
noun(classifier: books)
- แมว
nouncat
- หมา
noundog
- หนังสือ
nounbook
- โต๊ะ
nountable
- เก้าอี้
nounchair
- แก้ว
nounglass
Grammar
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Classifiers: noun + number + classifier
Explanation
Thai counts with the order: NOUN + NUMBER + CLASSIFIER. E.g. mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ tua (cat + two + tua), nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ sǎam lêm. The classifier must match the noun type: tua for animals and chairs, an for default small things, bai for flat/round things (glasses, bags), lêm for books. Never drop the classifier — "mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ" sounds unfinished; it must be "mɛɛo sɔ̌ɔŋ tua". (With "one", the classifier sometimes comes first: mɛɛo tua nʉ̀ŋ.)
Examples
- มีแมวสองตัวI have two cats.
- หนังสือสามเล่มthree books
- เก้าอี้สี่ตัวfour chairs (chairs take tua)
- แก้วสองใบtwo glasses (glasses take bai)
Script & tones
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อ่านสายลักษณนามให้คล่อง— Reading classifier strings fluently
Classifier strings + tone:
- แมว สอง ตัวmɛɛo (mid) sɔ̌ɔŋ (rising) tua (mid)two cats
- หนังสือ สาม เล่มnǎŋsʉ̌ʉ (rising) sǎam (rising) lêm (falling)three books
- หมา สี่ ตัวmǎa (rising) sìi (low) tua (mid)four dogs
Read the strings fluently, keeping every tone:
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