Force normal is the force facing upwards, perpendicular to the object. It is what prevents you from falling down when sitting on a chair. Frictional force can be in any direction depending on context. Imagine a box sliding down a slope, the sliding down direction would be the force of gravity and the force acting towards moving the box towards the top of the slope would be force of friction/resistance. That’s how I think of the two anyway. It’s been a while since i studied physics. Could you clarify what you are having trouble with? At this point, your Q “what’s the thing” is rather vague.