People and pointing

This and that: นี่, นั่น, นี้, นั้น

Tell apart the similar words for this and that.

นี่ and นั่น stand on their own as this and that, and they can start a sentence. นี้ and นั้น describe a noun: they come after it and can't stand alone. In writing the difference is a single tone mark. In speech it's the tone.

นี่nîi
this (right here)
on its own: นี่อะไร, What's this?
นั่นnân
that (near you)
on its own
โน่นnôon
that over there (far away)
on its own
นี้níi
this
after a noun: ร้านนี้, this restaurant
นั้นnán
that
after a noun
ที่นี่tîi-nîi
here
ที่นั่นtîi-nân
there

นี่nîithisอะไรà-raiwhat
What's this?
อันanitemนี้níithisเท่าไหร่tâo-ràihow much
How much is this?
When pointing at an object, Thai often uses a classifier: อัน is a general one for things.
ร้านráanrestaurantนี้níithisดีdiigood
This restaurant is good.
คนkonpersonนั้นnánthatเป็นbpenisครูkruuteacher
That person is a teacher.

Common mistake

นี่ and นี้ differ only in tone: นี่ is falling, นี้ is high. The transcription under each word shows this. If you mix them up, people will probably still understand you, but it will sound odd.

Practise

Kai says

Tone can change a Thai word's meaning. ขาว means white; ข้าว means rice. Listen to the vowel as well as the consonants.