We’ve been teaching you how to do your grocery shopping in Thai these past few months with posts full of all the vocabulary you’ll need. So far we’ve covered fruits and vegetables, so go back and study those in case you missed them. For those who aren’t vegetarians, you’ll proabbly need a few more words to get all your shopping done. To help you out, here are 25 Thai words for meat and seafood:
Fresh seafood in the market.
meat (เนื้อสัตว์ – néua sàt)
chicken (ไก่ – gài)
chicken wing (ปีกไก่ – bpèek gài)
beef (เนื้อวัว – néua wua)
pork (หมู – mŏo)
mutton (เนื้อแกะ – néua gàe)
duck (เป็ด – bpèt)
sausage (ไส้กรอก – sâi gròk)
bacon (เบคอน – bay-kon)
ham (แฮม – haem)
turkey (ไก่งวง – gài nguang)
ribs (ซี่โครง – sêe krohng)
meatball (ลูกชิ้น – lôok chín)
bullfrog (กบนา – gòp naa)
seafood (อาหารทะเล – aa hăan tá-lay)
fish (ปลา – bplaa)
salmon (ปลาแซลมอน – bplaa saen-mon)
shrimp/prawn (กุ้ง – gûng)
lobster (กุ้งก้ามกราม – gûng gâam graam)
tuna (ปลาทูน่า – bplaa too-nâa)
crab (ปู – bpoo)
oyster (หอยนางรม – hŏi naang rom)
squid (ปลาหมึก – bplaa mèuk)
catfish (ปลากด – bplaa gòt)
fishball (ลูกชิ้นปลา – lôok chín bplaa)
It should be noted that people often abbreviate the word for beef simply to เนื้อ (néua), but as that’s also the general word for meat, you’re better off using the full version – เนื้อวัว (néua wua). Note that the word for meat is also added for mutton (เนื้อแกะ – néua gàe), but not for chicken (ไก่ – gài), pork (หมู – mŏo) or duck (เป็ด – bpèt). You can add it if you want, but it really isn’t necessary. Speaking of mutton, it’s something you won’t often find in Thai cuisine, but you can learn the word anyways in case you want to eat at Indian restaurants and still order in Thai! You can practice your pronunciation of some of the words taught above by following this short video:
With all that vocabulary for fruit, veggies, meat, and seafood, you should be ready to do your shopping all in Thai!
Sasha is an English teacher, writer, photographer, and videographer from the great state of Michigan. Upon graduating from Michigan State University, he moved to China and spent 5+ years living, working, studying, and traveling there. He also studied Indonesian Language & Culture in Bali for a year. He and his wife run the travel blog Grateful Gypsies, and they're currently trying the digital nomad lifestyle across Latin America.
Comments:
Laine:
Hi,
How do I ask whether a fish on the menu is farmed, freshwater or saltwater?
Comments:
Laine:
Hi,
How do I ask whether a fish on the menu is farmed, freshwater or saltwater?
Thanks