ข้าวกล้อง
kâao-glɔ̂ng/kʰaːw˥˩.klɔŋ˥˩/
The English phrase "brown rice" is translated into Thai as ข้าวกล้อง (kâao-glɔ̂ng).
ข้าวกล้อง refers to unpolished rice.
Meaning: unpolished rice (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term consists of ข้าว, meaning "rice" and กล้อง, which in this specific context refers to the bran or the unpolished state.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is kâao-glɔ̂ng. It consists of two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word กล้อง refers to a hollow tube or cylinder. This describes the shape of the traditional polishing tool, which is why the word also applies to telescopes and cameras.
- Thai culture distinguishes between ข้าวกล้อง and ข้าวซ้อมมือ. While both are unpolished, ข้าวซ้อมมือ refers to rice polished by hand, which is often less refined than machine-processed brown rice.
- If you only say ข้าว (rice) without the modifier กล้อง, a Thai person will almost always assume you are talking about polished white rice. The absence of the second word fundamentally changes the expected type of grain.
Examples in context
- ฉันชอบกินข้าวกล้อง.chan chop kin khao-klong.I like eating brown rice.
- ข้าวกล้องมีประโยชน์ต่อสุขภาพ.khao-klong mi pra-yot to suk-khap.Brown rice is good for your health.
- คุณมีข้าวกล้องขายไหมคะ?khun mi khao-klong khai mai kha?Do you sell brown rice?
Example conversation
A man and a woman are talking at a grocery store.
- พิมล Pimonมีข้าวกล้องไหมคะ?mi khao-klong mai kha?Do you have brown rice?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatมีครับ มีวางอยู่ตรงนั้นครับ.mi khrap, mi wang yu trong nan khrap.Yes, we have it. It is over there.
- พิมล Pimonขอบคุณค่ะ ข้าวกล้องดีต่อสุขภาพมาก.khop khun kha, khao-klong di to suk-khap mak.Thank you. Brown rice is very good for health.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatใช่ครับ เลือกซื้อได้เลยครับ.chai khrap, lueak sue dai loei khrap.That's right. Please feel free to pick some.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brown rice” translations and entries ข้าวกล้อง, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
