ข้าว

Explanation

ข้าว covers a wider range than simply “rice” in English. It can refer to rice growing in a field, harvested or milled grain, and rice cooked for eating. The intended stage is often shown by context or another word: ข้าวเปลือก is rice with the husk still on, ข้าวสาร is milled uncooked rice, and ข้าวสวย is ordinary cooked rice. The expression กินข้าว is especially important. Although its literal components suggest “eat rice,” it normally means “eat” or “have a meal,” even when the meal consists of noodles or something else. เม็ด is used when counting individual grains, as in ข้าวหนึ่งเม็ด, “one grain of rice.” Portions of cooked rice are usually counted by their plate, bowl, box, or other container.

Usage

It is extremely common at home when cooking or eating, and in restaurants when ordering rice dishes. In farming, markets, and news reports, it appears in discussions of rice cultivation, harvests, varieties, and prices. กินข้าวหรือยัง, “Have you eaten yet?”, is also a familiar way to check in on someone.

Caution

Do not assume ข้าว always means cooked rice. Use the surrounding verb and context: ปลูกข้าว means “grow rice,” referring to the crop, not cooked food. Also note that กับข้าว means dishes eaten with rice, or “side dishes,” rather than rice itself. Fixed words such as ข้าวโพด, “corn,” should be learned as complete vocabulary items.

1 food synonyms

• อาหาร

  aahǎan food

  อาหาร is the general word for food, cuisine, or a meal and is common in descriptive labels such as อาหารไทย “Thai food.” ข้าว commonly represents a meal in informal everyday expressions such as กินข้าว “eat” or “have a meal.”

2 rice plant synonyms

• ต้นข้าว

  ต้นข้าว specifically means a growing rice plant. ข้าว is broader and can also refer to harvested rice or cooked rice.