นี้, นั่น, โน่น: this, that and that over there
The demonstrative in Thai stands after the noun, exactly the reverse of English: not "this shirt" but "shirt this" — suea nii. Between them often stands a classifier, as in ao an nii — "I'll take this one", the phrase you know from the shop. For example: “กาง เกง นี้ พอ ดี” — These trousers fit just right. A rule from the Thai course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The demonstrative in Thai stands after the noun, exactly the reverse of English: not "this shirt" but "shirt this" — suea nii. Between them often stands a classifier, as in ao an nii — "I'll take this one", the phrase you know from the shop.
There are three distances. นี้ (ний) — this, here in my hands. นั่น (нан) — that, next to you. โน่น (ноон) — that over there, far from both of us. English manages with "this" and "that"; Thai splits the world into three zones — the way English splits "here", "there" and "over there".
About places you already know the pair ที่ นี่ (ти ний) and ที่ นั่น (ти нан) — "here" and "there": the same roots attached to the word "place". To ask "what is this?" — nii arai: the demonstrative plus "what".
Table
| Distance | Word | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| in my hands | นี้ | nii | เสื้อ นี้ — this shirt |
| next to you | นั่น | nan | กระเป๋า นั่น — that bag |
| over there, far | โน่น | non | โรง แรม โน่น — that hotel over there |
| about places | ที่ | thi | ที่ นี่ — here; ที่ นั่น — there |
By example
- กาง เกง นี้ พอ ดีкаанг кынг ний пхо диThese trousers fit just right
- กระเป๋า นั่น ของ ใครкрапхао нан кхонг кхрайWhose is that bag?
- รอง เท้า โน่น แพง มากронг тао ноон пхэнг макThose shoes over there are very expensive
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
this, that and that over there: how does it work in Thai?
The demonstrative in Thai stands after the noun, exactly the reverse of English: not "this shirt" but "shirt this" — suea nii. Between them often stands a classifier, as in ao an nii — "I'll take this one", the phrase you know from the shop.
What does it look like in a Thai example sentence?
“กาง เกง นี้ พอ ดี” (каанг кынг ний пхо ди) — These trousers fit just right. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.