What is a noun classifier in Hmong? First of all, do you remember what a noun is? A noun is a person, place, or thing.
Noun classifiers are special grammatical words placed before a noun to add depth of meaning to it, to grammatically make a reference in a sentence more specific, and to differentiate between homonyms (two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings). That is very abstract. Let’s look at some concrete examples to make this concept more easy to understand.
Differentiating Homonyms – Txiv
‘Txiv’ in Hmong has a few meanings. Three meanings are ‘fruit,’ ‘husband,’ and ‘father.’ Noun classifiers can differentiate between those two meanings.
The noun classifier ‘leej’ is used regarding people and sometimes can imply an intimate relationship such as between children and parents. So the expression ‘leej txiv’ leaves no doubt that you are talking about a ‘father.’
While the relationship between husband and wife is also intimate, one would only use the classifier ‘tus’ to refer to a husband. ‘Tus’ is a classifier that is used to refer to living, thinking creatures including people, animals, bugs, and even sicknesses (virus). It will also refer to some other things such as objects of short lengths and of rivers. But in this case, ‘tus txiv’ will definitely mean husband.
Finally the noun classifier ‘lub’ is a general classifier used to refer to abstract nouns such as an idea, or round items, or items that don’t already fall into another category. ‘Lub txiv’ would refer to ‘a fruit’ or ‘the fruit.’
Depth of Meaning – Ntawv
This concept is similar to differentiating homonyms but instead of simply differentiating sometimes a noun classifier will add a deeper or more specific meaning to a noun.
For example, the word ‘ntawv’ by itself means letters or characters (that one might find on a keyboard, for example).
However, adding ‘tsab,’ which is a classifier for postal letters turns ‘tsab ntawv’ into a postal letter.
Adding ‘phau,’ which is a noun classifier for books or volumes turns ‘phau ntawv,’ into ‘book.’
Adding ‘tus,’ which in this case is used for objects of short lengths and inserting the word ‘npe’ creates the idiom ‘tus npe ntawv’ which means a single letter in an alphabet.
In the above way Hmong creates a more specific and meaningful vocabulary without adding new words.
Specificity – lub
One way to see the meaning of noun classifiers is to remove them and see what the difference is. For example, consider the following comparison. You are speaking with someone who tells you ‘I like cars.’ They aren’t specific, they are just saying they like ‘cars’ in general without referring to a specific one. You can express this thought in Hmong with just three words: ‘Kuv nyiam tsheb.’ So let’s compare this to someone who just got a new car and the two of you are standing there in front of it. They ask you if you like their new car. You respond with ‘Kuv nyiam lub tsheb.’ The only difference from the previous sentence is the word ‘lub.’ But now you are saying, ‘I like the car.’
Noun classifiers actually serve to make a reference more specific in a number of ways. The above example is just one very basic one. Let’s look at some more in the following subheading.
When Should I Use a Noun Classifier?
I would never be so bold as to say one ‘must’ use a noun classifier because it is difficult to set hard fast rules for a complex language. So let’s just use the phrase ‘should.’ Below are some general guidelines as to when it is likely you should use a noun classifier. Much of this is referenced from Jean Motin’s Elements of White Hmong Grammar.
1. For people or things defined in the singular. In English we would do this with the word ‘the.’
lub tsev
the house
tus neeg
the person
zaj lus piv txwv
the illustration
2. With a demonstrative singular.
lub tsev no
this house
lub roob tid
that mountain
3. With a possessive, always in the singular:
Lawv lub tsev
their house
kuv tus pojniam
my wife
Note: The noun classifier can be replaced by the word ‘li’ to express a possessive relationship.
kuv li tsev
my house
4. With a numeral.
ob lub tsev
two houses
plaub tug neeg
four people
5. After a quantifier.
ntau lub tsev
many houses
peb txhua tus
all of us
(note: It is a very common mistake for people to say ‘txhua peb.’ However this ignores the grammatical necessity of a noun classifier. Hence the correct wording is ‘peb txhua tus.’)
6. When asking a question where the answer is a numeral or a definite noun.
Pes tsawg leej? / ob leeg –
How many people? / 2 people
Rab twg? / rab ko
Which tool? / The tool near you
You can use a noun classifier in place of a noun you already know. In this case it serves as a pronoun.
Lub no
this one
tus ko
the one by you
ntau lub
many
zaj uas…
the poem which…
Noun Classifiers – Exceptions
As with many grammar rules, classifiers often have exceptions. Below are a few examples.
When specificity is not necessary.
Kuv mus tsev
I’m going home.
(it is obvious you are going to YOUR house and because it is obvious, it is not necessary to be specific. If you were going to someone else’s house then you would need to specify.)
It is not always necessary to use with ‘txiv.’
As a special rule, see the following phrase:
nws txiv
her father
nws tus txiv
her husband
As ‘tus txiv’ means husband we cannot use ‘tus’ to refer to a father. While, as stated earlier, it is possible to use ‘leej txiv’ to refer to the father it is more common to just say ‘nws txiv.’
Can (optionally) be omitted with many possessive phrases.
Kuv tsev
my house
kuv poj niam
my wife
kuv tes
my hand
List of Classifiers – Common
Daim – Things that are flat, sheets, plates, areas.
ib daim ntawv
a sheet of paper.
ib daim nplooj
a leaf
ib daim txiag
a board
Leej – Specifically for humans.
leej niam
mother
leej txiv
father
Kuv mus ib leeg xwb.
I will go alone, ‘Lit: I go one person only.’
Muaj coob leej nyob ua ke.
There are many people living together.
Lo / Los – Word or speech, a bite or sip.
ib lo lus
a word
lo lus ntuas
a word of council, criticism.
ib los mov
a mouthful of rice
ib los dej
a sip of water
Lub – Used as a ‘catchall.’ Used for hollow or round objects, some body parts, machines or vehicles, some clothing, buildings, abstract nouns, etc.
Objects that are hollow or round
lub thoob
the bucket
lub vas
the net
lub qhov rooj
the door
lub paj
the flower
Some body parts
lub cev
the body
lub duav
the lower-middle back
lub siab
the liver (figurative heart in English)
Machines or vehicles
lub tsheb
the car
lub nkoj
the boat
Clothing
lub ris
the pants
Buildings
lub tsev
the house
Abstract
lub npe
the name
lub tswv yim
the idea, the wisdom
lub hwj huam
the power, the energetic force
Nkawm – A pair, a couple (not for certain nouns like eyes, arms, legs)
ib nkawm khau
a pair of shoes
ib nkawm niam txiv
a married couple
Phau – Things stacked on on the other, a bundle, a stack.
ib phau ntawv
a book
ib phau nyiaj
a stack of money
ib phau khaub
a pile of clothes
Pluas – Single meals, single dosages.
noj ob pluag
two meals
noj ua ib pluag
take as a single dose
Qhov – A thing, a place, a hole.
qhov chaw no
this place
qhov no
this thing
ib qho khoom
a thing, an object
ntau qhov chaw
many places
Rab – A tool.
rab riam
the knife
rab diav
the spoon
rab koob
the needle
rab txiab
the scissors
rab rauj
the hammer
rab taus
the axe
rab liag
the sickle
Tus – Living beings, humans or animals, many parts of the body, things closely affecting a person, things in short lengths.
Living Beings, humans or animals
tus neeg
the person
tus dab
the demon
tus tub
the son
tus tsiaj txhu
the animal
tus noog
the bird
Things that closely affect oneself
Tus plig
the soul
tus duab
the shadow
tus mlom
the idol
tus mob
the sickness
tus nqe
the price
River or moving body of water
tus dej
the river
Many parts of the body (when in pairs see ‘txhais’
tus nplaig
the tongue
tus hniav
the tooth
tus tw
the tail
Things in short lengths
tus choj
the bridge
tus mem / tus cwj mem
the pen
tus yuam sij
the key
tus pas
the stick
tus ceg ntoo
the branch
Thaj – An area of vegetation, a shamanistic service
Area of vegetation
ib thaj chaw
an area of land
ib thaj av
a field
ib thaj nplej
a rice field
a shamanistic service
ib thaj neeb
a single spiritistic service preformed by a ‘txiv neeb’ or a shaman.
Tsab – A letter (mail), a message
ib tsab ntawv
a letter
ib tsab xov
a message
Tsob – A plant
ib tsob ntoo
a tree
ib tsob nplej
a rice plant
ib tsob xyooj
a bamboo plant
ib tsob nroj
a grass plant
ib tsob pos
a clump of thorns
Txoj – Long, thin things, abstract concepts with a begenning and an end, roads or path-like concepts.
Long, thin things
Txoj xov
the string
txoj hlua
the rope
txoj xov hlau
the wire
txoj hmab
the vine
Abastract
Txoj hauj lwm
the work
txoj sia
(force of) life
txoj hmoov
the luck
txoj cai
the law
Roads or path-like concepts
Txoj kev
the road
txoj kev nyuaj siab
the way of depression / sadness
txoj kev thaj yeeb
the way of peace
txoj kev txaj muag
the way of sadness
Txhais – One part of a pair.
ib txhais khau
a shoe
ib txhais tes
a hand
ib txhais npab
an upper arm
ib txhais ceg
a leg
Yam – Any give thing (can be used in the same way as ‘Qhov’)
ib yam khoom
one thing
ib yam hauj lwm
a work
tsis ua ib yam dabtsi
not do anything
Zaj – Story, song, prayer, phrase, paragraph, notice
zaj kwv huam
the story, the parable
zaj dab neeg
the story, the legend
zaj kwv txhiaj
the Hmong style song
zaj tshoob
the wedding song
zaj nkauj
the song
zaj lus thov
the prayer
Please feel free to leave comments below. An article like this is easy to update, too, so if you see any mistakes or have any suggestions I would love to hear them.