อาหารเย็น
aa-hǎan-yen/ʔaː˧.haːn˩˩˦.jen˧/
'dinner' in Thai is อาหารเย็น (aa-hǎan-yen).
The term is used to refer to the main meal eaten in the evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase อาหารเย็น is composed of อาหาร (aa-hǎan) meaning 'food' and เย็น (yen) meaning 'cold' or 'evening'.
Which one should you use?
While อาหารเย็น uses the word for 'evening' to denote dinner, breakfast is อาหารเช้า (aa-hǎan-cháo), which uses the word for 'morning'.
How do you pronounce it?
The three-syllable phrase is pronounced aa-hǎan-yen. The IPA transcription is /ʔaː˧.haːn˩˩˦.jen˧/.
Did you know?
- While อาหารเย็น literally translates to 'evening food', you will often hear Thai people simply say กินข้าว (kin khâao), which literally means 'eat rice'. Even if you are eating noodles or bread, 'eating rice' is the standard way to say you are having a meal.
- The word อาหาร is derived from the Pali and Sanskrit words for 'food' or 'nourishment', reflecting the deep influence of Indian languages on Thai formal vocabulary.
- In many Thai households, the concept of a single 'dinner' is replaced by a variety of small dishes shared by everyone, meaning the phrase describes the event rather than a specific plate of food.
Examples in context
- ไปทานข้าวเย็นกันเถอะ – Pai than khao yen gan theLet's go have dinner together
- ทานข้าวเย็นที่บ้าน – Than khao yen thee baanHaving dinner at home
- อาหารเย็นวันนี้อร่อยมากaa-haan-yen wan-nee a-roy maakToday's dinner is very delicious.
- เราไปกินอาหารเย็นกันไหมrao pai gin aa-haan-yen gan maiShall we go eat dinner?
- ฉันกำลังเตรียมอาหารเย็นchan gam-lang triam aa-haan-yenI am preparing dinner.
Example conversation
Two friends deciding what to do after work.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatเย็นนี้ไปกินอาหารเย็นกันไหมyen nee pai gin aa-haan-yen gan maiDo you want to go eat dinner this evening?
- ณิชา Nichaได้เลยค่ะ ฉันหิวแล้วdai loei ka chan hiw laewSure, I am already hungry.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatกินอาหารญี่ปุ่นดีไหมครับgin aa-haan ya-pun dee mai krapHow about Japanese food?
- ณิชา Nichaดีค่ะ ไปกันเลยdee ka pai gan loeiThat sounds good, let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry อาหารเย็น, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries อาหารเย็น, CC BY-SA 4.0.
