Classifier + นึง [neung] = หนึ่ง [nèung] + Classifier
คนนึง [kon neung] = หนึ่งคน [nèung kon] = One person
ห้องนึง [hâwng neung] = หนึ่งห้อง [nèung hâwng] = One room
บาทนึง [bàat neung] = หนึ่งบาท [nèung bàat] = One baht
จานนึง [jaan neung] = หนึ่งจาน [nèung jaan] = One dish

In spoken Thai, when the classifier comes first, the word “หนึ่ง [nèung]” will change to “นึง”[neung] (from low tone to mid tone).

The difference between the two? While both “หนึ่ง [nèung]” and “นึง”[neung] refer to the same thing, which is “one.” When you say “หนึ่ง [nèung],” you emphasize slightly more on the number/amount. For example, if you want to say “there was a cat in my backyard” then, you would have to use “แมวตัวนึง” [maeo tua neung] because you simply want to say what was there in your backyard, not how many cats there were in your backyard. But if a friend asks you a question: “How many cats and dogs do you have?” then, you should say “มีแมวหนึ่งตัว หมาสองตัว” [mii maeo nèung tua, mǎa sǎwng tua] because now, you want to state “how many” pets you have. However, in some contexts, the two expressions can be used interchangeably.

Note that when we state a price in Thai, when it’s a large amount (thousand, ten thousand or higher), it’s quite common to omit the last word. For example, instead of saying “สามพันสี่ร้อย” [sǎam pan sìi rói] for 3,400, we Thai people tend to just say “สามพันสี่” [sǎam pan sìi]. Or instead of saying “สองหมื่นห้าพัน” [sǎwng mèun hâa pan], we will just say “สองหมื่นห้า” [sǎwng mèun hâa]. Therefore “แสนหนึ่ง” [sǎen nèung] refers to “110,000” while “แสนนึง” [sǎen neung] and “หนึ่งแสน” [nèung sǎen] refer to “100,000.” In the context of price, there is hardly any difference between “นึง” [sǎen neung] and “หนึ่ง” [nèung sǎen].

 

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