หนึ่ง
1
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 1
- 2 a certain、some、one (unspecified)
- 3 one whole、unity
This is the basic Thai word for the number one. Depending on its position and construction, it can also introduce an unspecified person or thing or describe several parts becoming one whole.
1
Expresses the number or quantity one. In the pattern หนึ่งใน…, it identifies one member of a larger group.
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กาแฟหนึ่งแก้ว kaafɛɛ nʉ̀ŋ kɛ̂ɛw one cup of coffee กาแฟหนึ่งแก้ว details
a certain、some、one (unspecified)
Placed after a classifier, it introduces a person or thing that has not yet been specifically identified, much like “a certain” or “one” in English.
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วันหนึ่ง wan nʉ̀ŋ one day วันหนึ่ง details
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ฉันอ่านหนังสือเล่มหนึ่ง chǎn àan nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ lêm nʉ̀ŋ I read a certain book. ฉันอ่านหนังสือเล่มหนึ่ง details
one whole、unity
Refers to the state of being a single, unified whole. This use occurs mainly in set expressions about unity or togetherness.
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เราต้องรวมเป็นหนึ่ง raw tɔ̂ŋ ruam pen nʉ̀ŋ We must unite as one. เราต้องรวมเป็นหนึ่ง details
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เราเป็นหนึ่งเดียวกัน raw pen nʉ̀ŋ diaw kan We are united as one. เราเป็นหนึ่งเดียวกัน details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of หนึ่ง is a single unit: one. To state a quantity clearly, the usual pattern is noun + หนึ่ง + classifier. For example, รถหนึ่งคัน means “one car,” and น้ำหนึ่งขวด means “one bottle of water.” With the order noun + classifier + หนึ่ง, the phrase often introduces an unspecified person or thing. หนังสือเล่มหนึ่ง means “a certain book,” while คนหนึ่ง means “a person” or “someone.” Common time expressions include วันหนึ่ง, “one day,” and ครั้งหนึ่ง, “once” or “at one time.” หนึ่งใน… means “one of…,” while ที่หนึ่ง and อันดับหนึ่ง refer to first place or the top rank. In รวมเป็นหนึ่ง, the word conveys several people or things joining together as one.
Usage
It is used constantly when counting people, objects, and occasions or specifying quantities in shops and restaurants. It also appears when introducing someone or something into a story, identifying one member of a group, discussing rankings, or describing people joining together as one.
Caution
Thai normally requires an appropriate classifier when counting nouns, so หนึ่ง cannot always be used alone where English uses “one.” Notice the contrast between หนึ่งคน, which clearly counts “one person,” and คนหนึ่ง, which usually introduces “a person” whose identity is not yet specified. For “first” in a ranking, use ที่หนึ่ง or อันดับหนึ่ง rather than หนึ่ง by itself. The spelling นึง is common in informal writing because it reflects everyday pronunciation, but หนึ่ง is the standard spelling.
Differences from similar words
1 1 synonyms
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เดียว emphasizes being the only one or having no others. หนึ่ง is the ordinary numeral used to state a quantity of one.
2 a certain synonyms
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บาง means “some” or “certain” and does not necessarily refer to a single item. หนึ่ง after a classifier points to one unspecified person or thing.