- To count something, say the thing, the number, then a classifier: แมวสามตัว, "three cats", is literally "cat three ตัว".
- The classifier shows what kind of thing it is: คน for people, ตัว for animals and clothes, เล่ม for books, คัน for cars, ลูก for fruit and balls.
- It comes back with this, which and how many: แมวตัวนี้ (this cat), แมวตัวไหน (which cat?), แมวกี่ตัว (how many cats?).
- Drinks and dishes are counted by their container: กาแฟสองแก้ว, "two coffees"; ข้าวผัดหนึ่งจาน, "a plate of fried rice".
- อัน is the general classifier for objects and a handy fallback, but never for people or animals.
What a classifier is
English counts most things directly: three cats, two books. But some nouns need a helper word: three sheets of paper, two loaves of bread, a pair of shoes. Thai needs a helper like that every time it counts anything. "Three cats" is แมวสามตัว, literally "cat three ตัว", and "two books" is หนังสือสองเล่ม, "book two เล่ม".
That helper is a classifier, ลักษณนาม (lák-sà-nà-naam) in Thai. Each one stands for a kind of thing. ตัว, which also means "body", is used for animals; เล่ม is for books; คน, "person", is for people. Thai nouns don't change for the plural, so แมว is "cat" or "cats", and the classifier is how you hear that something is being counted.
It sounds like a lot to learn. Linguists have counted about eighty classifiers, not counting nouns that count themselves, with around forty in everyday use, and you can get a long way with the 25 or so in this guide. Each one comes with a recording and a real example sentence.
The pattern: thing, number, classifier
The basic pattern never changes: the thing you're counting, then the number, then the classifier.
- นักเรียนสิบคน: student, ten, คน, "ten students"
- รถสามคัน: car, three, คัน, "three cars"
- บ้านสองหลัง: house, two, หลัง, "two houses"
Adjectives go straight after the noun, before the number: แมวดำสองตัว, "two black cats". And once everyone knows what you're talking about, you can drop the noun and keep the number and classifier. At a juice stall, เอาสองแก้ว is "I'll have two (glasses)". The classifier is the part to hold on to: สองแก้ว works on its own, but สองกาแฟ doesn't. You'll sometimes hear it dropped in quick food orders, as in ข้าวผัดสอง, "two fried rice", but keep it while you're learning.
The same slot after the noun takes other quantity words too: หลาย (many), บาง (some) and ทุก (every) all come before the classifier. หลายคน is "many people", บางคน "some people".
หนึ่งคน or คนหนึ่ง?
"One" is the only number that can move. หนึ่ง (nʉ̀ng) can come before the classifier, like every other number, or after it. Both can mean "one", but there's a difference in emphasis:
- Before the classifier, it's a count: หนังสือหนึ่งเล่ม is "one book", as opposed to two or three. It's what you say when the number matters.
- After the classifier, it often works like "a" or "a certain": หนังสือเล่มหนึ่ง is "a book". It's how stories introduce someone new: มีเจ้าหญิงคนหนึ่ง, "there was a princess".
After the classifier, หนึ่ง is usually said with a mid tone, and casual Thai often writes it นึง, so you'll see คนนึง and อันนึง in messages. The readings on this page show the written low tone. To stress "only one", use เดียว instead: คนเดียว means "alone" or "only one person", and อันเดียว "just one".
This, that and which
To point at one particular thing, put the classifier between the noun and นี้ (this), นั้น (that) or โน้น (that one over there). The same goes for ไหน, "which":
- เสื้อตัวนี้, "this shirt"
- หนังสือเล่มนั้น, "that book"
- รถคันไหน, "which car?"
Drop the noun and the classifier becomes "one": เล่มนี้, "this one" (a book); คันไหน, "which one?" (a car). When there's no particular classifier in mind, Thais say อันนี้, "this one", and อันไหน, "which one?" You'll use these all the time in shops.
A classifier can also pick one thing out by a description. เสื้อตัวสีแดง is "the red shirt", the one that's red as opposed to the others, and in a shop เอาตัวสีแดง means "I'll take the red one". Compare เสื้อสีแดง, which just means "a red shirt" or "red shirts".
How many? กี่ + classifier
To ask "how many", put กี่ (gìi) where the number would go, before the classifier: แมวกี่ตัว, "how many cats?" The answer uses the same classifier: สามตัว, "three".
- กี่คน, "how many people?" In polite service Thai you'll also hear กี่ท่าน, with ท่าน, a respectful classifier for people.
- กี่ขวด, "how many bottles?"
- กี่โมง, "what time?", literally "how many o'clock". Units of time and money work like classifiers here: กี่วัน (how many days), กี่บาท (how many baht).
กี่ always needs something after it. For prices and amounts with no classifier, Thai uses เท่าไหร่ instead. Our guide to Thai question words has the full set.
Every, each and per person
Three more patterns use the classifier, and you'll hear all of them daily:
- ทุก + classifier is "every": ทุกคน, "everyone"; นักเรียนทุกคน, "every student". Units of time work the same way: ทุกวัน, "every day".
- แต่ละ + classifier is "each", one at a time: เด็กแต่ละคน, "each child"; บ้านแต่ละหลัง, "each house".
- Classifier + ละ is "per" or "each": คนละร้อยบาท, "a hundred baht per person"; แก้วละยี่สิบบาท, "twenty baht a glass". It's how market stalls price things: ลูกละสิบบาท, "ten baht each".
The classifiers you'll need
These cover nearly everything you'll count in daily life. Most follow a rough logic, by shape or by kind of thing, so it helps to learn them in groups:
| Classifier | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| คนkon | People | เพื่อนสองคนpʉ̂ʉan sɔ̌ɔng kon |
| ตัวdtuua | Animals; clothes; tables and chairs | เสื้อสามตัวsʉ̂ʉa sǎam-dtuua |
| อันan | Small objects; the general fallback | ยางลบสองอันyaang-lóp sɔ̌ɔng an |
| ลูกlûuk | Fruit, balls, round things | ส้มห้าลูกsôm hâa lûuk |
| ใบbai | Tickets, cards, bags, plates, cups | ตั๋วสองใบdtǔua sɔ̌ɔng bai |
| เล่มlêm | Books, notebooks; knives | หนังสือสามเล่มnǎng-sʉ̌ʉ sǎam lêm |
| คันkan | Cars, bikes; umbrellas, spoons | รถสองคันrót sɔ̌ɔng kan |
| หลังlǎng | Houses, buildings | บ้านสองหลังbâan sɔ̌ɔng lǎng |
| เครื่องkrʉ̂ʉang | Machines: phones, computers, TVs | มือถือสองเครื่องmʉʉ-tʉ̌ʉ sɔ̌ɔng krʉ̂ʉang |
| ชิ้นchín | Pieces: cake, meat, items | เค้กสองชิ้นkéek sɔ̌ɔng chín |
| เม็ดmét | Pills, seeds, small round bits | ยาสองเม็ดyaa sɔ̌ɔng mét |
| ฟองfɔɔng | Eggs | ไข่สามฟองkài sǎam fɔɔng |
| ด้ามdâam | Pens, and some tools with a handle | ปากกาสองด้ามbpàak-gaa sɔ̌ɔng dâam |
| แท่งtɛ̂ng | Pencils, bars, sticks | ดินสอสามแท่งdin-sɔ̌ɔ sǎam tɛ̂ng |
| เส้นsên | Long thin things: hair, wire, rope | ผมสามเส้นpǒm sǎam sên |
| แผ่นpɛ̀n | Flat things: paper, slices, tiles | กระดาษสามแผ่นgrà-dàat sǎam pɛ̀n |
| ดอกdɔ̀ɔk | Flowers | กุหลาบสองดอกgù-làap sɔ̌ɔng dɔ̀ɔk |
| ต้นdtôn | Trees, plants; posts | ต้นไม้สิบต้นdtôn-máai sìp dtôn |
| คู่kûu | Pairs: shoes, socks, chopsticks | รองเท้าสองคู่rɔɔng-táao sɔ̌ɔng kûu |
| ฉบับchà-bàp | Letters, documents, newspapers | จดหมายหนึ่งฉบับjòt-mǎai nʉ̀ng chà-bàp |
| เรื่องrʉ̂ʉang | Films, stories | หนังสองเรื่องnǎng sɔ̌ɔng rʉ̂ʉang |
| รูปrûup | Monks | พระสามรูปprá sǎam rûup |
| องค์ong | Buddha images, royalty; monks in everyday speech | พระพุทธรูปสามองค์prá-pút-tá-rûup sǎam-ong |
Here they are with their recordings, starting with the shapes:
Then books and papers, vehicles, machines and buildings:
And plants, pairs, rings and a few others you'll meet early:
Food, drinks and containers
Food and drink are counted the way English counts "two cups of tea": by the container or the portion. The container word becomes the classifier.
- กาแฟสองแก้ว, "two coffees" (two glasses or cups)
- น้ำสามขวด, "three bottles of water"
- ข้าวผัดหนึ่งจาน, "a plate of fried rice"
- ก๋วยเตี๋ยวสองชาม, "two bowls of noodles"
- ขนมสามห่อ, "three packets of snacks"
The container you choose changes the meaning, just as in English: เบียร์สองขวด is two bottles of beer, เบียร์สองแก้ว two glasses. For a portion of a dish, you'll also hear ที่: ข้าวผัดสองที่ is "two portions of fried rice". Add ครับ or ค่ะ when you order: ขอกาแฟเย็นสองแก้วค่ะ. Our guide to Thai particles explains why.
Words that count themselves
Some nouns are their own classifier. Linguists call these repeaters: the noun simply comes back in the classifier's slot.
- ห้องสองห้อง, "two rooms"
- คำสามคำ, "three words"
- ประเทศสองประเทศ, "two countries"
With a repeater, you say the word only once when there's no number: ห้องนี้, "this room", not ห้องห้องนี้. Longer words built on them keep the short classifier: ห้องนอนสองห้อง, "two bedrooms". And repeaters don't swap for อัน: ประเทศสามอัน is wrong.
คนสองคน, "two people", looks like a repeater too, but คน is simply the classifier for most people: นักเรียนสองคน, เพื่อนสองคน.
One noun, more than one classifier
Some nouns take more than one classifier, and all of them are correct. The Royal Institute's classifier list puts the most used one first. These are the ones learners ask about most:
| Thing | Classifiers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | ใบbaiฟองfɔɔngลูกlûuk | All three are standard. ฟอง is used only for eggs. |
| Fruit | ผลpǒnลูกlûuk | Both are standard: มะม่วงสามผล or มะม่วงสามลูก. The Royal Institute's dictionary also gives มะม่วงสองใบ. |
| Bags | ใบbaiลูกlûuk | Empty plates and drinking glasses take ใบ too. |
| Keys | ดอกdɔ̀ɔkลูกlûuk | A padlock is different: แม่กุญแจ, counted with ตัว. |
| Monks | รูปrûupองค์ong | รูป is the standard one. The Royal Institute's dictionary marks องค์ for ordinary monks as colloquial. Never คน. |
| Houses | หลังlǎngบ้านbâan | บ้านสองหลัง is the usual way; บ้านสองบ้าน, with the noun repeated, is also correct. Other buildings take หลัง too. |
Some pairs look alike but aren't interchangeable. Pens take ด้าม (ปากกาสองด้าม) but pencils take แท่ง (ดินสอสองแท่ง). Spoons and umbrellas take คัน, the classifier for cars, because they have a handle: ช้อนสี่คัน, ร่มสองคัน. And knives take เล่ม, the classifier for books: มีดสองเล่ม.
When in doubt: อัน
อัน (an) is the nearest thing Thai has to a general classifier for objects. It's the standard classifier for a range of objects, like erasers, and อันนี้, "this one", and อันไหน, "which one?", work for almost anything you can point at in a shop.
So if a classifier won't come to mind, อัน is a reasonable guess, with limits:
- Never for people or animals. People are คน, animals are ตัว. อัน for a person treats them as an object.
- Not when the thing has a well-known classifier. Cars (คัน), houses (หลัง), books (เล่ม) and machines (เครื่อง) have their own, and อัน sounds like a guess.
- Not with words that count themselves. It's ห้องสองห้อง, never ห้องสองอัน.
- Not in writing. In an email, a form or an exam, use the specific classifier.
Leaning on อัน is a classic learner habit; Thai children do it too while they're learning the system. A wrong classifier marks you as a learner, not as someone who can't be understood, so don't let it stop you from talking.
Count it: try it
Pick something to count and a number, or "this", "which?" or "how many?", and see the Thai. The classifier is highlighted, and you can play its recording.
Count it in Thai
The pattern is always the same: the thing, the number, then the classifier.
Common mistakes
- Putting the number first. สามแมว is English word order. Say แมวสามตัว: the thing first, then the number and classifier.
- Leaving the classifier out. แมวสาม sounds unfinished. The classifier is the one part of the phrase you can't skip.
- Mixing up คน and ตัว. Animals are ตัว, people are คน. ตัว for a person can sound rude or mocking.
- Repeating the noun when it isn't a repeater. หนังสือสองหนังสือ is wrong; it's หนังสือสองเล่ม. Only words like ห้อง and คำ count themselves.
- Using กี่ for prices. "How much is it?" is เท่าไหร่. กี่ needs a classifier or a unit after it: กี่ขวด, กี่บาท.
- Saying คน for monks. Monks are รูป or องค์. It's one of the few classifier choices that's about respect, not grammar.
Learn each word with its classifier.
ThaiFlip's dictionary has recorded example sentences for คน, ตัว, อัน and thousands of other words, so you hear how real Thai counts things, not just what the words mean.
Frequently asked questions
What is a classifier in Thai?
A classifier (ลักษณนาม) is the word Thai puts after a number when it counts something. It shows what kind of thing is being counted: คน for people, ตัว for animals, เล่ม for books. "Three cats" is แมวสามตัว, literally "cat three ตัว".
What is the word order for counting in Thai?
The thing, then the number, then the classifier: หนังสือสองเล่ม, "two books". An adjective goes straight after the noun: แมวดำสองตัว, "two black cats".
How many classifiers does Thai have?
Linguists have counted about eighty, and around forty of them are in everyday use. A learner can get a long way with about 25, and คน, ตัว and อัน cover a lot on their own.
Can I just use อัน for everything?
No, but it goes further than any other classifier. อัน is the general classifier for objects, and อันนี้, "this one", works for almost anything you can point at. It never works for people (คน) or animals (ตัว), and with words that have their own classifier, like cars (คัน) or houses (หลัง), use that one.
What's the difference between หนึ่งคน and คนหนึ่ง?
Often very little: both can mean "one person". หนึ่ง before the classifier stresses the number, as in นักเรียนหนึ่งคน, "one student". After it, หนึ่ง often works like "a" or "a certain": มีคนหนึ่งยืนรออยู่ข้างนอก, "someone is waiting outside".
How do you ask "how many" in Thai?
Put กี่ before the classifier: แมวกี่ตัว, "how many cats?", or just กี่คน, "how many people?" For prices and amounts, use เท่าไหร่ instead.
What is the classifier for eggs and fruit?
Eggs can take ใบ, ฟอง or ลูก; the Royal Institute lists all three, and ฟอง is used only for eggs. Fruit takes ผล or ลูก: มะม่วงสามลูก or มะม่วงสามผล, "three mangoes". The Royal Institute's dictionary also allows ใบ.
What is the classifier for monks?
รูป is the standard classifier for Buddhist monks: พระสามรูป, "three monks". You'll also hear องค์, which the Royal Institute's dictionary marks as colloquial for ordinary monks; องค์ is the standard one for Buddha images. Never use คน for a monk.
Recordings and example sentences come from the ThaiFlip dictionary. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll check it.
