Breakdown of ม้า ตัว นั้น วิ่ง เร็ว มาก ค่ะ
ค่ะ
polite particle (female)
มาก
very / much, more
ตัว
classifier for animals and things
นั้น
that (modifier)
Questions & Answers about ม้า ตัว นั้น วิ่ง เร็ว มาก ค่ะ
Why do we need the word ตัว here if we aren't counting the horses?
In Thai, classifiers aren't just for counting. You also need them when pointing something out with demonstrative words like "this" or "that". The required pattern is "Noun + Classifier + This/That", which is why "that horse" is built as ม้า ตัว นั้น (horse + classifier + that).
Does the classifier ตัว only apply to horses and other animals?
Mostly, yes! ตัว is the main classifier for all animals. However, you'll also see it used for inanimate objects that have "bodies" or "arms and legs", such as shirts, trousers, chairs, and tables.
Why is 'that' spelled นั้น instead of นั่น?
นั้น (high tone) is used when "that" is attached to a noun (like "that horse"). You only use นั่น (falling tone) when "that" stands completely on its own as the subject, like in "That is a horse" (นั่น คือ ม้า). Because "that" modifies a specific noun here, we must use นั้น.
Is the word order for 'runs very fast' exactly the same as in English?
Yes! In Thai, the action comes first (วิ่ง, runs), followed by the word describing how it's done (เร็ว, fast), and finally the intensifier (มาก, very). The structure is Verb + Adverb + Intensifier, which maps perfectly to "runs fast very".