Questions & Answers about นั่น รถยนต์ เขา ครับ
Why is there no word for "is" in this sentence?
In Thai, you often do not need a "to be" verb when pointing something out. While you could use คือ (is) here, native speakers frequently drop it in simple sentences. Just like using stative verbs to describe things without a linking verb, you can simply say นั่น รถยนต์ เขา (That [is] his car) directly!
How does เขา mean "his" here instead of "he"?
To show possession in Thai, you just place the pronoun directly after the noun. So รถยนต์ เขา literally means "car he", which naturally translates to "his car". You do not always need to use the possession word ของ (belonging to) in casual speech.
Why do we use นั่น instead of นั้น for "that"?
นั่น (falling tone) is a standalone pronoun meaning "that thing" and acts as the subject of the sentence here. นั้น (high tone) is a descriptive word that must come directly after a noun or classifier, as in รถยนต์คันนั้น (that car).
Can a female speaker use this exact sentence?
Almost, but not quite! The final word ครับ is a polite particle used only by male speakers. A female speaker would change it to ค่ะ to keep the sentence polite.
Learn นั่น รถยนต์ เขา ครับ and more in Thai
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free