น้อย
Few and Little
Use น้อย (nói) to describe a small quantity of something. It works for both countable things (few) and uncountable things (little).
How It Works
The word น้อย (high tone) is the standard way to express that a quantity is small. Whether that amount is insufficient depends on the situation.
1. Word Order
In basic descriptions, น้อย follows the noun directly. For example, คนน้อย (khon nói) means 'few people' or 'people are few.' Unlike many other quantifiers, it often does not require a classifier in simple descriptive sentences.
2. Countable vs. Uncountable
Thai does not distinguish between 'few' and 'little' based on countability. You can use น้อย for money, time, water, or people.
3. Comparisons and Changes
To express 'less than', use น้อยกว่า (nói kwàa). To describe a decreasing amount or something becoming 'less and less', use น้อยลง (nói long) following the pattern Adjective + ลง.
4. Psychological and Logical Uses
The word น้อย appears in several high-frequency expressions:
• น้อยใจ (nói jai): Literally 'little heart', this means to feel slighted, hurt, or neglected by someone's actions.
• อย่างน้อย (yàang nói): This means 'at least' and is used to point out a minimum expectation or a silver lining.
5. Common Idioms
A common way to say someone is 'young' is อายุน้อย (aa-yú nói), literally 'age is little.'
6. Nuance and Alternatives
น้อย describes a small amount; it does not by itself say that the amount is bad or insufficient. To say 'a little bit', speakers also use นิดหน่อย instead. In formal writing, you might see เล็กน้อย (lék nói) for 'a small amount'.
Examples (6)
- ช่วงนี้มีลูกค้าน้อย
There are few customers lately.
Word by Word: Period this have customer few
Here, 'nói' describes a countable noun (customers) and follows it directly.
- เขากินข้าวน้อยเพราะไม่สบาย
He eats little (food) because he is unwell.
Word by Word: He eat rice little because not well
In this case, 'nói' describes the amount of food (uncountable/general) being consumed.
- เผ็ดน้อยครับ
(Make it) slightly spicy, please.
Word by Word: Spicy little [polite particle]
This is a very common phrase when ordering food to ask for a low level of spiciness.
- วันนี้มีเวลาน้อย
I have little time today.
Word by Word: Today have time little
Time is treated as an uncountable quantity using 'nói'.
- เขามีเงินน้อยกว่าฉัน
He has less money than me.
Word by Word: He have money little than I
To say 'less than', you combine 'nói' with the comparative marker kwàa.
- อย่างน้อยเขาก็มา
At least he came.
Word by Word: At least he [linking particle] come
The phrase yàang nói is used as a logical connector meaning 'at least'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'น้อย' (few/little), you need to know that Thai adjectives follow the noun they modify and can act as complete predicates (verbs) on their own. It is also helpful to understand how 'there is' (มี) works, as 'น้อย' often describes the quantity of something existing.
- Adjectives Follow The Noun
น้อย functions as an adjective meaning 'few' or 'little' and follows the noun it describes, adhering to the standard Thai noun-adjective word order.
Level 1 - Adjectives Work As Verbs
In Thai, adjectives like น้อย can function as verbs (stative verbs), meaning 'to be few' or 'there are few', without needing a separate verb for 'to be'.
Level 1 - มีTo Have and There Is
น้อย is frequently used in existential constructions (e.g., 'there is little') which often involve the verb 'to have/there is'.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- นิดหน่อยA Little
Both can describe small amounts. นิดหน่อย often means 'a little bit'; น้อย can describe a small quantity without saying whether it is enough.
Level 1 - เยอะA Lot
The direct opposite of 'nói', meaning 'a lot' or 'many'.
Level 2 - มากVery
Means 'very' or 'much'; often used to intensify adjectives or verbs.
Level 1 - กี่ + ClassifierHow Many
Used to ask 'how many' or to say 'a few' (mâi gìi) specifically for countable items.
Level 1 - หน่อยRequests and a Little
A similar-sounding particle used to soften requests or indicate a small duration/intensity.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice น้อย in Bubblegum
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