Thai classifiers: how to count things in Thai

English does this with a few nouns: two cups of coffee, three pieces of cake. Thai does it with everything, and in a fixed order: the thing, how many, then the counting word. The noun can be left out once everyone knows what you mean: สองแก้วsǎwng gâew, two (glasses).

Thai has dozens of classifiers, but these cover most of daily life. Each one groups things by shape or kind: ตัวdtua (body) is for animals and also for clothes, tables and chairs, and ลูกlûuk (child, ball) is for fruit and round things.

To ask how many, put กี่gìi where the number goes, and keep the classifier: กี่คนgìi kon (how many people?), กี่ขวดgìi kùat (how many bottles?). The question tells you which classifier to use in your answer: สองคนsǎwng kon, two people. Restaurant staff often ask more politely with ท่านtâan, the respectful classifier for people.

This and that go after the classifier: อันนี้an níi (this one), ตัวนั้นdtua nán (that one, a shirt or a dog). It's how you point at things in a shop, with or without the noun: เสื้อตัวนี้sûea dtua níi, this shirt.

With one, Thais usually put the number after the classifier, said นึงnueng with a mid tone: กาแฟแก้วนึงgaa-fae gâew nueng, one coffee. กาแฟหนึ่งแก้วgaa-fae nùeng gâew is correct too, just a little more formal. เดียวdiaw (single) also goes after: แก้วเดียวgâew diaw, just one glass.

Use อันan. It's the all-purpose counting word for things, and people will understand you (and may tell you the right one). For people, use คนkon, and for animals ตัวdtua. Some nouns are their own classifier: ห้องสองห้องhâwng sǎwng hâwng (two rooms), คนสามคนkon sǎam kon (three people).