Breakdown of เขา กิน ข้าว ตั้ง สาม จาน ค่ะ
กิน
to eat
ข้าว
rice
เขา
he, she, they
สาม
three
จาน
plate
ตั้ง
as much as (emphatic, before amounts)
Questions & Answers about เขา กิน ข้าว ตั้ง สาม จาน ค่ะ
Why is ตั้ง used here? Doesn't it usually mean 'to set up' or 'since'?
In this sentence, ตั้ง is used to show surprise at a large amount. When placed directly before a number or quantity, it translates to 'as many as' or 'as much as'. The speaker is emphasizing that three plates is a surprisingly large amount of food!
How do we know this happened in the past ('ate') if there is no past tense word like แล้ว?
Thai doesn't require past tense markers if the context makes it obvious. Because the speaker is reporting the final amount he consumed (three plates), it implies the action is already finished. Therefore, we naturally translate it as past tense in English.
Does ข้าว mean literal rice here, or just a general meal?
It can mean both depending on context! กินข้าว is the most common way to say 'to eat a meal' in general. However, since it is being counted here by จาน (plates), it paints a picture of someone eating three actual plates of rice with side dishes, which is the standard way meals are served in Thailand.
Why is จาน placed after the number สาม?
In Thai, when you count objects, the rule is to use the pattern: Noun + Number + Classifier. Here, after the noun ข้าว (rice) and the emphasis word ตั้ง, you have the number สาม (three) followed immediately by its classifier จาน (plate). จาน works as the counting word for plated meals.
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