Breakdown of ผม ชอบ เสื้อ ตัว นี้ ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
ผม
I (male)
ชอบ
to like
เสื้อ
the shirt
ตัว
classifier for animals and things
นี้
this (modifier)
Questions & Answers about ผม ชอบ เสื้อ ตัว นี้ ครับ
Why is there an extra word (ตัว) between 'shirt' and 'this'?
This is the main rule for pointing things out in Thai! To say 'this shirt' or 'that car', you cannot just put 'this' next to the noun. You must use the pattern: Noun + Classifier + นี้. The word ตัว is the classifier you need here.
I learned that ตัว is used for counting animals. Why is it here with a shirt?
That is correct, ตัว literally translates to 'body' and is the classifier for animals. However, Thai also uses it as the classifier for most clothing items that you wear on your body, like shirts, trousers, and skirts.
Why are the words in the order เสื้อ ตัว นี้ instead of putting 'this' at the beginning?
In Thai, describing words and pointing words (like 'this' and 'that') always come after the noun they modify. Instead of 'this shirt', the Thai structure is 'shirt + [classifier] + this'.
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