หนาว
nǎao/naːw˩˩˦/
In Thai, the English word 'cold' can be expressed as หนาว (nǎao) or เย็น depending on the context.
Meaning: having a low temperature (adj)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| หนาว | nǎao | /naːw˩˩˦/ |
| เย็น | yen | /jen˧/ |
เย็น is used to describe the temperature of objects or things, such as water, food or air that feels refreshing or cool to the touch. หนาว is used to describe the weather or the physical sensation of feeling cold in your body.
Which one should you use?
Use เย็น for the temperature of inanimate objects or substances like water, and use หนาว for the weather or your own bodily sensation of coldness.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'very cold,' add มาก after the adjective, such as in หนาวมาก.
How do you pronounce it?
/naːw˩˩˦/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using เย็น to say 'I am cold'. Instead, use หนาว to describe your physical sensation.
Did you know?
- In Thai, the word เย็น is not just for temperature, but is also used to mean 'evening' or 'late afternoon'.
- In Thai, the word เย็น is used to describe a person with a 'cool' or calm temperament, suggesting they are emotionally stable and peaceful.
- The word เย็น is used in the phrase 'Jai Yen Yen', which literally means 'heart cool cool' and is used to tell someone to calm down or be patient.
Examples in context
- มันเย็นIt's cold.The sentence is useful for saying 'It's cold' using เย็น.Tatoeba #7878801 by pastelite, translation #1813 by CK
- น้ำเย็นThe water was cold.The sentence is useful for saying 'The water was cold' using เย็น.Tatoeba #8717343 by pastelite, translation #1984002 by Spamster
- เบียร์เย็นมากThe beer's very cold.The sentence is useful for saying 'The beer's very cold' using เย็น.Tatoeba #8743320 by pastelite, translation #2259265 by _undertoad
- เท่ากับความเย็นEquivalent to coldness
- อากาศเย็นCold weather
- เย็นสบายComfortably cool
- เย็นมากYen mâak (very cold)
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pimol and Thanakrit are sitting in an air-conditioned room.
- พิมล Pimonแอร์ห้องนี้หนาวมากae rong ni nao makThe air conditioning in this room is very cold.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritจริงด้วยครับ ผมก็เริ่มหนาวแล้วching duai khrap phom ko roem nao laeoThat's true, I am starting to feel cold too.
- พิมล Pimonคุณธนกฤตอยากได้เสื้อกันหนาวไหมkhun thanakit yak dai suea kan nao maiThanakrit, do you want a sweater?
- ธนกฤต Thanakritไม่เป็นไรครับ ขอบคุณนะmai pen rai khrap khop khun naIt's okay, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cold” translations and entries หนาว, เย็น, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
