นุ่ม
soft
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 soft、tender (food)
- 2 gentle、soft、smooth (in flavor)
Describes something pleasantly soft or tender to the touch or when eaten. It can also describe a voice, light, or flavor that feels gentle rather than harsh.
soft、tender (food)
Describes a pleasantly soft texture or a tender, easy-to-eat consistency.
-
หมอนใบนี้นุ่มมาก mɔ̌ɔn bay níi nûm mâak This pillow is very soft. หมอนใบนี้นุ่มมาก details
-
ผมนุ่ม phǒm nûm The hair is soft. ผมนุ่ม details
Show more (2)
-
เนื้อนุ่มมาก nʉ́a nûm mâak The meat is very tender. เนื้อนุ่มมาก details
-
หุงข้าวให้นุ่ม hǔŋ khâaw hây nûm Cook the rice until it is soft. หุงข้าวให้นุ่ม details
gentle、soft、smooth (in flavor)
Describes a voice, light, flavor, or similar quality that is smooth, gentle, and not harsh.
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of นุ่ม is a lack of hardness or harshness that feels pleasant. It is common with physical textures and food, as in หมอนนุ่ม (“a soft pillow”), ผ้านุ่ม (“soft fabric”), ผิวนุ่ม (“soft skin”), and เนื้อนุ่ม (“tender meat”). The same image extends to qualities that are easy on the senses, such as น้ำเสียงนุ่ม (“a gentle tone”), แสงนุ่ม (“soft light”), and รสชาตินุ่ม (“a smooth, mellow flavor”). Thai adjectives can function directly as predicates, so หมอนนุ่ม can mean either “a soft pillow” or “the pillow is soft,” depending on context. The repeated form นุ่ม ๆ gives a natural sense of something being softly or gently so.
Usage
It is commonly used when discussing pillows, bedding, fabrics, hair, skin, and the texture of foods such as meat, bread, and rice. It also appears in descriptions of gentle voices, soft lighting, photography, and smooth, non-harsh flavors.
Caution
นุ่ม and นิ่ม overlap, but นุ่ม often suggests a pleasantly soft texture or tender consistency, while นิ่ม more directly emphasizes being non-hard, yielding, or softened through cooking. Do not automatically substitute อ่อน: it has a much wider range of meanings, including “weak,” “young,” “pale,” and “inexperienced.”
Differences from similar words
1 soft synonyms
-
นิ่ม emphasizes being physically non-hard or yielding under pressure. นุ่ม more often suggests a pleasantly soft texture or tender consistency, especially with fabric, hair, skin, and food.
2 gentle synonyms
-
นุ่มนวล often suggests a gentle, refined manner in speech, behavior, or movement. นุ่ม is the more basic term and also applies broadly to non-harsh voices, light, and flavors.
-
อ่อนโยน primarily describes a kind, tender manner or personality. นุ่ม can describe a voice or tone whose sensory impression is soft and non-harsh.