rot
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 rot、spoil、decay
Describes food, water, waste, or other organic matter that has decomposed, spoiled, and often developed a bad smell.
rot、spoil、decay
Describes food or organic matter undergoing decay and becoming unfit to eat or use.
-
น้ำในคลองเริ่มเน่าเสีย náam nay khlɔɔŋ rə̂əm nâw sǐa The water in the canal is beginning to putrefy. น้ำในคลองเริ่มเน่าเสีย details
Learning notes
Explanation
เน่าเสีย combines เน่า, “to rot,” with เสีย, “to become damaged or unusable.” It suggests more than a slight loss of freshness: decay has ruined the original quality of the item. A foul smell is often associated with it. Thai words describing states can function directly as predicates, so อาหารเน่าเสีย can mean either “the food spoils” or “spoiled food,” depending on context. ที่ can be added for explicit noun modification, as in อาหารที่เน่าเสีย, “food that has spoiled.” The word is common in everyday speech as well as in discussions of food safety, sanitation, and environmental problems.
Usage
It is commonly used when discussing meat, vegetables, leftovers, or other food that may have spoiled. It also appears in food-safety guidance and in descriptions of decomposing waste or foul water in canals and drainage systems.
Caution
น้ำเน่าเสีย usually suggests water made foul by decomposition, often with an unpleasant smell. For water contaminated by chemicals or other substances, น้ำปนเปื้อน may be more appropriate; น้ำเสีย is the broader term for wastewater or polluted water.