แกง
gɛɛng/kɛːŋ˧/
The Thai word for curry is แกง (gɛɛng).
แกง is a generic term used to describe various types of curry, including red and green varieties.
Meaning: dish (noun)
Which one should you use?
While แกง is the general term for any curry, แกงกะหรี่ specifically refers to the yellow curry style, which is often influenced by Indian or Western styles. To specify a spicy red curry, you can use the term แกงเผ็ด, which literally means 'spicy curry'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word แกง can function as both a noun, meaning the dish itself and as a verb, meaning to cook or make a curry.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is gɛɛng. The IPA is /kɛːŋ˧/.
Did you know?
- The slang use of แกง as 'to trick' is closely linked to the word ต้ม, which literally means 'to boil' but also means 'to scam'.
- Some regional Thai curries from the North and Northeast do not use coconut milk at all, yet they are still called แกง.
- Many traditional แกง dishes use a 'pounding' technique with a mortar and pestle to create the paste. This physical action is central to the identity of the dish beyond just the ingredients.
Examples in context
- แกงมัสมั่นMassaman curryThis example shows the term used in the name of massaman curry.
- วันนี้แม่ครัวแกงหน่อไม้จ้ะToday the cook (female) makes a curry/soup of bamboo shoots.This sentence shows the verb usage of แกง when a cook is making a bamboo shoot curry.
- เมื่อวานฉันกินแกงกะหรี่I ate curry yesterday.This sentence shows the noun usage of แกง in the phrase for yellow curry.Tatoeba #1791322 by acorn, translation #1790833 by newkome
- ฉันต้องการทานแกงเขียวหวานI want to eat green curry.
- ร้านอาหารนี้ทำแกงแดงอร่อยมากThis restaurant makes delicious red curry.
Example conversation
Nicha and Witthawat are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- ณิชา Nichaวันนี้อยากกินแกงอะไรคะwan-nii yak kin kaeng a-rai khaWhat kind of curry do you want to eat today?
- วิทวัส Witthawatผมอยากกินแกงเขียวหวานครับphom yak kin kaeng khiao waan khrapI want to eat green curry.
- ณิชา Nichaสั่งแกงเขียวหวานไก่ดีไหมคะsang kaeng khiao waan kai dee mai khaShall we order chicken green curry?
- วิทวัส Witthawatดีครับ สั่งแบบนั้นเลยdee khrap sang baep nan loeiThat's good, let's order that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry แกง, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries แกง, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
