เหล่านั้น

Explanation

The usual pattern is “noun + เหล่านั้น,” unlike English, where “those” comes before the noun. เหล่า presents people or things as a group, while นั้น points to something farther away or previously mentioned. Thus, คนเหล่านั้น means “those people,” หนังสือเหล่านั้น means “those books,” and ปัญหาเหล่านั้น means “those problems.” It can modify nouns referring to people, physical objects, or abstract matters such as problems and ideas.

Usage

It is used for several people or things visible at some distance, or for a group already introduced in a conversation or text. It occurs in everyday speech as well as in explanatory writing, news reports, and other contexts where a group needs to be identified clearly.

Caution

Place it after the noun, as in คนเหล่านั้น, not before it. For a group close to the speaker, use เหล่านี้ (“these”) instead.

1 those synonyms

• พวกนั้น

  พวกนั้น means “those people” or “those things” and is common in everyday speech, including by itself. เหล่านั้น typically follows a noun and identifies a particular group more explicitly; it is also common in written language.