ข้าว
kâaoMeanings
1NounA1
rice (cooked)
Cooked rice eaten as food; also the staple portion of a meal.
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)กินginกินgin1[to] eat2[to] drink (colloquial/with some nouns)3[to] consume; use up4[to] corrode; erode; eat into5[to] take (a bribe); pocketข้าวสวยkâao-sǔuaiข้าวสวยkâao-sǔuaiplain cooked rice (non-sticky)กับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)ผัดผักpàt-pàkผัดผักpàt-pàkstir-fried vegetables
I eat steamed rice with stir-fried vegetables.
3 more examplesShow less
The hot rice smells great; it looks so tasty.
Yesterday I cooked the rice a bit too soft, but it was still tasty.
พรุ่งนี้prûng-níiเอาaoข้าวสวยkâao-sǔuaiใส่sàiปิ่นโตbpìn-dtooไปทำงานbpai-tam-ngaanจะได้jà-dâaiไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngซื้อsʉ́ʉ
Tomorrow I'll bring steamed rice in a tiffin to work, so I won't have to buy any.
2NounA2
rice (grain/uncooked)
Rice as a grain, including raw or processed but uncooked rice.
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ซื้อsʉ́ʉซื้อsʉ́ʉ1[to] buy; purchase2[to] bribe; buy offข้าวkâaoข้าวkâao1rice (cooked)2rice (grain/uncooked)3meal; food (general)4rice plant; paddyหนึ่งnʉ̀ngหนึ่งnʉ̀ng1one (number)2a; one; a single3a certain; a particular4first; top; foremostกิโลgì-looกิโลgì-loo1kilo (kilogram)2kilo (kilometer)3classifier: kilograms; kilometers (informal)จากjàakจากjàak1from; away from2[to] leave; depart; part from3nipa palmร้านráanร้านráan1shop; store2restaurant; eatery3booth; stallใกล้บ้านglâi-bâanใกล้บ้านglâi-bâannear (one's) home; nearby home
I bought one kilogram of rice from the shop near my house.
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เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanแม่mɛ̂ɛซื้อsʉ́ʉลูกlûukเดือยdʉʉaiกับgàpข้าวสารkâao-sǎanมาmaaซ่อมsɔ̂mเติมdtəəmในnaiตู้dtûu
Yesterday Mom bought Job’s tears and uncooked rice to restock the cupboard.
พรุ่งนี้prûng-níiเขาkǎoจะjàไปbpaiเลือกซื้อlʉ̂ʉak-sʉ́ʉข้าวหอมมะลิkâao-hɔ̌ɔm-má-líแบบbɛ̀ɛpใหม่màiที่tîiซุปเปอร์มาร์เก็ตsúp-bpəə-maa-gèt
Tomorrow he will go choose a new type of jasmine rice at the supermarket.
ข้าวkâaoคุณภาพดีkun-ná-pâap-diiเมล็ดmá-létเต็มdtemสม่ำเสมอsà-màm-sà-mə̌əและlɛ́ไม่มีกลิ่นmâi-mii-glìnอับàpจึงjʉngเหมาะmɔ̀สำหรับsǎm-ràpหุงhǔngให้hâiร่วนrûuan
High-quality rice has uniformly whole grains and no musty smell, making it suitable for cooking to a fluffy texture.
3NounA2
meal; food (general)
Food or a meal in general in everyday speech (e.g., กินข้าวกินข้าวgin-kâao1[to] have a meal; eat (general)2[to] eat rice (literal) ‘to eat a meal’).
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)ไปกินข้าวbpai-gin-kâaoไปกินข้าวbpai-gin-kâao[to] go eatกับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉan1friend2classmate; colleague (peer)3companion; fellow
I’m going to have a meal with my friend.
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Yesterday we arranged to have dinner together.
Shall we have lunch at the same place this noon?
ถ้าtâaเลิกงานlêrk ngaanช้าcháaเราraoค่อยkôiไปกินข้าวbpai gin kâaoใกล้ๆglâi glâiออฟฟิศóf-fítก็ได้gôr dâai
If we finish work late, we can just grab a meal near the office.
4NounB1
rice plant; paddy
The rice plant or rice in the field/husk (e.g., ข้าวเปลือกข้าวเปลือกkâao-bplʉ̀ʉakpaddy; unhusked rice ‘paddy rice’).
Examples
ช่วงนี้chûuang-níiช่วงนี้chûuang-níi1these days; lately; currently2this period (of time); the current periodชาวนาchaao-naaชาวนาchaao-naarice farmerเกี่ยวข้าวgìiao-kâaoเกี่ยวข้าวgìiao-kâao[to] harvest riceในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)นาnaaนาnaapaddy field; rice fieldแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)เก็บgèpเก็บgèp1to keep; store; put away2to collect; pick up; gather3to tidy up; put in order4to keep back; save5[to] harvest; pick (fruit/flowers)6to charge; take (a fee/payment)7[to] tuck in; gather up (hair/clothes)เป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)ข้าวเปลือกkâao-bplʉ̀ʉakข้าวเปลือกkâao-bplʉ̀ʉakpaddy; unhusked riceไว้wáiไว้wái1[to] keep; save; store2[to] set aside; reserve3for later; in reserve4[to] leave (something) as is5marks retention or maintenance of a state6[to] wear; sport (hair/moustache/etc.)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ยุ้งyúngยุ้งyúnggranary; rice barn
These days the farmers have harvested the rice in the fields and stored the paddy in the granary.
3 more examplesShow less
เมล็ดข้าวmá-lét-kâaoในnaiรวงruuangยังyangไม่mâiแก่gɛ̀ɛเต็มที่dtem-tîiชาวนาchaao-naaจึงjʉngเลื่อนlʉ̂ʉanการgaanเกี่ยวgìiaoไปbpaiสัปดาห์หน้าsàp-daa-nâa
The grains in the ears of rice are not fully mature yet, so the farmers postponed harvesting to next week.
ฝนตกหนักfǒn-dtòk-nàkทำให้tam-hâiข้าวkâaoล้มlómในnaiแปลงbplɛɛngหลายlǎaiไร่râiต้องdtɔ̂ngเร่งrêngค้ำkámต้นdtônกันganเสียหายsǐia-hǎai
Heavy rain caused the rice to lodge in the plots; many rai need urgent staking of the stalks to prevent damage.
การคัดเลือกgaan-kát-lʉ̂ʉakพันธุ์panข้าวkâaoที่tîiต้านทานdtâan-taanโรคrôokไหม้mâiช่วยchûuaiลดlótการใช้gaan-cháiสารเคมีsǎan-kee-miiและlɛ́รักษาrák-sǎaผลผลิตpǒn-pà-lìtในnaiนาข้าวnaa-kâao
Selecting rice varieties resistant to blast disease helps reduce chemical use and maintain yields in paddy fields.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Falling tone
kâao
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
High class + Mai tho → Falling
Tone chart
Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.
| Mid class | High class | Low class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mark + live | Mid | Rising | Mid |
| No mark + dead short | Low | Low | High |
| No mark + dead long | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai ek | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai tho | Falling | Falling | High |
| Mai tri | High | — | — |
| Mai chattawa | Rising | — | — |