แตงกวา
cucumber
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 cucumber
This is the everyday Thai word for a cucumber, referring either to the edible fruit or to the plant that produces it.
cucumber
A cucumber eaten raw or used in cooking, as well as the plant on which it grows.
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กินแตงกวาแล้วรู้สึกสดชื่น kin tɛɛŋkwaa lɛ́ɛw rúusʉ̀k sòtchʉ̂ʉn Eating cucumber makes me feel refreshed. กินแตงกวาแล้วรู้สึกสดชื่น details
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หั่นแตงกวาเป็นชิ้นบางๆ hàn tɛɛŋkwaa pen chín baaŋ baaŋ Slice the cucumber thinly. หั่นแตงกวาเป็นชิ้นบางๆ details
Learning notes
Explanation
แตงกวา is a neutral, common noun used when discussing food, shopping, cooking, or farming. It usually refers to the edible cucumber, but it can also denote the plant, as in ปลูกแตงกวา, “grow cucumbers.” The first element, แตง, appears in names for various melons and gourds. For practical purposes, however, แตงกวา is best learned as a single vegetable name. The usual classifier for whole cucumbers is ลูก: แตงกวาสองลูก means “two cucumbers.” Cut pieces can be counted with classifiers such as ชิ้น, “piece.”
Usage
It is commonly used when buying vegetables, discussing ingredients and food preferences, preparing meals, or talking about gardening and farming. Cucumbers are also frequently served raw alongside Thai dishes such as chicken rice.
Caution
แตง by itself is not limited to cucumbers and can refer broadly to melons and gourds, so use แตงกวา when you specifically mean “cucumber.” The word does not mean “pickle”; a pickled cucumber is แตงกวาดอง.
Differences from similar words
1 cucumber synonyms
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แตงร้าน usually refers to a larger, longer type of cucumber. แตงกวา is the general everyday term for cucumbers regardless of the particular variety.