กะทิ
gà-tí/ka˨˩.tʰiʔ˦˥/
The English phrase "coconut milk" is translated into Thai as กะทิ (gà-tí).
Meaning: the liquid from inside the seed of the coconut (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: gà-tí. The pronunciation is /ka˨˩.tʰiʔ˦˥/.
Did you know?
- In Thai cuisine, กะทิ is often divided into 'head' หัวกะทิ and 'tail' หางกะทิ based on how many times the coconut meat is pressed.
- Thai desserts using กะทิ are often characterized by a balance of salty and sweet, as a pinch of salt is almost always added to the milk to enhance the flavor.
- The word กะทิ is believed to share the same origin as the Khmer word ខ្ទិះ, which also refers to a liquid used in curries.
Examples in context
- ผมอยากได้อาหารที่มีกะทิI would like to have a dish with coconut milk.
- อาหารนี้มีกะทิใช่ไหมDoes this dish have coconut milk?
- ใส่กะทิลงในแกงด้วยsai ka-thi long nai gaeng duayPut coconut milk in the curry too.
- ฉันชอบกินขนมที่ใส่กะทิchan chop kin kha-nom thi sai ka-thiI like eating desserts that use coconut milk.
- กะทิสดมีราคาแพงกว่าka-thi sot mi ra-kha phaeng kwaFresh coconut milk is more expensive.
Example conversation
ธนกฤต and กนกวรรณ are shopping at a local market.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritกนกวรรณ ซื้อกะทิมาหรือยังka-nok-wan sue ka-thi ma rue yangKanokwan, have you bought the coconut milk yet?
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanซื้อมาแล้วค่ะsue ma laeo khaI have already bought it.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritดีมาก เราจะได้ทำอาหารกันdi mak rao cha dai tham a-han kanGreat, then we can start cooking.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanได้เลยค่ะ ธนกฤตdai loei kha than-na-kritSure, Thanakrit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coconut milk” translations and entries กะทิ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กะทิ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
