กินข้าว
gin-kâao/kin˧.kʰaːw˥˩/
To eat a meal in Thai, use กินข้าว (gin-kâao). Wiktionary also lists ทานข้าว (taan-kâao).
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| กินข้าว | gin-kâao | /kin˧.kʰaːw˥˩/ |
| ทานข้าว | taan-kâao | /tʰaːn˧.kʰaːw˥˩/ |
While the phrase is used to mean eating any meal, it is not restricted to only eating rice.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase กินข้าว literally means eat rice.
Which one should you use?
กินข้าว is the standard way to say 'eat a meal', whereas ทานข้าว is a version used specifically when speaking to elders or in formal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
gin-kâao
When do people say it?
Asking someone if they have eaten yet, such as กินข้าวหรือยัง, is a common Thai greeting used to show care, similar to asking 'How are you?' in English.
Did you know?
- In very formal royal Thai, neither กินข้าว nor ทานข้าว is used. A completely different word, เสวย, is used for the monarchy.
- While กินข้าว is the standard term, the word กิน can be used in slang to describe 'consuming' or 'taking' something that is not food, such as 'eating' a loss in a business deal.
- The Thai phrase กินข้าว is part of a wider regional pattern where 'rice' stands in for 'food'. Similar expressions exist in Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese.
Examples in context
- ไปกินข้าวกันเถอะpai kin khao kan thoeLet's go eat.
- ฉันยังไม่ได้กินข้าวเลยchan yang mai dai kin khao loeiI haven't eaten yet.
- คุณกินข้าวหรือยังkhun kin khao rue yangHave you eaten yet?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking during a work break.
- พิมล Pimonวิทวัส หิวหรือยังWithawat hiu rue yangWithawat, are you hungry yet?
- วิทวัส Witthawatหิวแล้วครับ พิมลhiu laeo khrap PhimonI am hungry now, Phimon.
- พิมล Pimonไปกินข้าวด้วยกันไหมpai kin khao duai kan maiDo you want to go eat together?
- วิทวัส Witthawatไปครับ ไปกันเลยpai khrap pai kan loeiYes, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries กินข้าว, ทานข้าว, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กินข้าว, ทานข้าว, CC BY-SA 4.0.
