กุ้ง
shrimp
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 shrimp、prawn
This everyday word refers to shrimp or prawns, both as aquatic animals and as food.
shrimp、prawn
It broadly refers to shrimp or prawns, whether alive or used as food.
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แพ้กุ้งไหม phɛ́ɛ kûŋ mǎy Are you allergic to shrimp? แพ้กุ้งไหม details
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ข้าวผัดกุ้งหนึ่งจาน khâaw phàt kûŋ nʉ̀ŋ caan One plate of shrimp fried rice. ข้าวผัดกุ้งหนึ่งจาน details
Learning notes
Explanation
กุ้ง is the ordinary noun for shrimp or prawns, both as living animals and as food. It commonly appears in dish names such as ข้าวผัดกุ้ง (shrimp fried rice) and ต้มยำกุ้ง (tom yum with shrimp). Everyday Thai usually does not make the shrimp–prawn distinction with กุ้ง alone. More specific names add another element, as in กุ้งฝอย for tiny shrimp and กุ้งก้ามกราม for giant freshwater prawns. The usual classifier for individual shrimp is ตัว, so กุ้งสามตัว means “three shrimp.” When buying them by weight, units such as กิโลกรัม (kilogram) are used instead.
Usage
It is commonly used when buying shrimp at a market or supermarket, discussing ingredients and cooking, or ordering shrimp dishes at a restaurant. It also appears in allergy-related expressions such as แพ้กุ้ง, “to be allergic to shrimp.”
Caution
กุ้ง is a broad term and does not identify a precise species. A mantis shrimp is กั้ง, while fermented shrimp paste is normally called กะปิ. Also, กุ้งมังกร specifically refers to spiny lobster or lobster rather than ordinary shrimp.