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Thai

หอม

Pronunciation

hɔ̌ɔm

หอม

hɔ̌ɔm

fragrant

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  1. 1 fragrant、pleasant-smelling、aromatic
  2. 2 kiss on the cheek、give an affectionate kiss
  3. 3 shallot or onion-type vegetable、Allium vegetable

The core idea is a pleasant smell. It describes food, flowers, perfume, and other things that smell good, and it also appears in the expression for giving a cheek kiss. As a noun, it refers to onion/shallot-type ingredients.

1

fragrant、pleasant-smelling、aromatic

Adjective⭐️4 Often used

Describes something that has a pleasant smell, such as food, flowers, coffee, or perfume. It can also mean appetizingly aromatic.

2

kiss on the cheek、give an affectionate kiss

Verb⭐️3 Common

Most commonly used in หอมแก้ม, meaning to give someone a cheek kiss. It is an affectionate, close-contact gesture often involving the nose or a light kiss.

3

shallot or onion-type vegetable、Allium vegetable

Noun⭐️3 Common

Refers to Allium-type cooking ingredients such as shallots, onions, and scallions. In everyday use it usually appears with another word specifying the type.

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Learning notes

Explanation

หอม is built around the idea of a good smell. It is very common when praising food and drinks, as in food that smells appetizing or coffee that smells aromatic. As a noun, it appears in ingredient names such as หอมแดง “shallot,” หอมใหญ่ “onion,” and ต้นหอม “scallion.” In หอมแก้ม, the word means an affectionate cheek kiss, often closer to a sniff-kiss than a formal kiss on the lips.

Usage

You will hear it when talking about food, restaurants, shopping for ingredients, flowers, perfume, and pleasant smells in general. หอมแก้ม is used in close relationships such as family members, partners, or young children.

Caution

Do not use หอม for bad smells; use เหม็น instead. Also, หอมแก้ม is physically affectionate, so it should only be used in relationships where that kind of closeness is appropriate.

Differences from similar words

1 fragrant synonyms

  • หอมกรุ่น is often used for a warm, rich aroma rising from coffee, baked goods, or hot food. หอม is the more general word for smelling good.

  • เหม็น means “stinky” or “smelly” in a bad way. หอม is used for pleasant smells.

2 kiss on the cheek synonyms

  • จูบ is the general verb “to kiss,” including kissing on the lips. หอม, especially หอมแก้ม, suggests a close, affectionate cheek kiss or sniff-kiss.

3 shallot or onion-type vegetable synonyms

Component words

Other words containing หอม

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