ก๋วยเตี๋ยว
rice noodles
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 rice noodles、Thai noodle dish
This everyday word refers to rice noodles or, more commonly in context, a Thai noodle dish made with them.
rice noodles、Thai noodle dish
It refers both to rice noodles themselves and to a prepared noodle dish served with broth or without it.
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วันนี้กินก๋วยเตี๋ยวกันไหม wan níi kin kǔaytǐaw kan mǎy Shall we have noodles today? วันนี้กินก๋วยเตี๋ยวกันไหม details
Learning notes
Explanation
This is a loanword of Chinese origin and a very common term in modern Thai. It can name the noodles themselves, but in phrases such as กินก๋วยเตี๋ยว, it normally means eating a prepared noodle dish. The dish may contain pork, meatballs, vegetables, and many different kinds of broth. At a noodle shop, customers often choose a noodle type, such as เส้นเล็ก (thin rice noodles), เส้นใหญ่ (wide rice noodles), or เส้นหมี่ (very thin rice noodles), followed by น้ำ for noodles in broth or แห้ง for noodles served without broth. Bowls of noodles are commonly counted with ชาม, as in ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหนึ่งชาม, “one bowl of noodles.”
Usage
It is frequently used when ordering at street stalls, casual eateries, and restaurants. It is also common when suggesting a meal or talking about food preferences in everyday conversation.
Caution
It does not refer only to ramen; it covers a broad range of rice noodles and dishes made from them. Wheat-based Chinese-style noodles are called บะหมี่, while instant noodles are บะหมี่กึ่งสำเร็จรูป. Also, ก๋วยเตี๋ยวแห้ง usually means noodles served without broth, not uncooked dried noodles.