Breakdown of ฉัน เอา กล่อง เก้า กล่อง ค่ะ
ค่ะ
polite particle (female)
ฉัน
I (female)
เอา
to want / to take (along)
กล่อง
the box
เก้า
nine
Questions & Answers about ฉัน เอา กล่อง เก้า กล่อง ค่ะ
Why does the word กล่อง (box) appear twice in this sentence?
In Thai, when you count objects, you must use a "classifier" (a special counting word). The standard pattern is Noun + Number + Classifier. For some objects, like a box (กล่อง), the counting word is exactly the same as the noun! So you are literally saying "box nine box".
Why doesn't เก้า (nine) come before the noun like in English?
Thai word order for counting is different from English. While we say "nine boxes" (Number + Noun), Thai puts the noun first. Whenever you use numbers 1-10 to count an object, the formula is always Noun + Number + Classifier. Therefore, เก้า (nine) goes immediately after the object you are counting.
I learned that เอา means "to take". Why is it translated as "I want" here?
You are correct! เอา translates literally to "to take". However, in everyday Thai, it is the most natural and common way to say "I want [an object]" when you are buying things, ordering food, or picking something out. It is very similar to saying "I'll take nine boxes" in English.
Are there any tricky sounds to watch out for with the number เก้า (nine)?
Yes! The word เก้า (nine) uses a falling tone. You have to be careful to hit that falling pitch, because if you say it with a low tone (เก่า), it means "old". Getting the tone right is especially important when you are shopping and telling people how many things you want to buy!
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