ມະທຸ
ma thu
The English word honey is translated into Lao as ມະທຸ (ma thu) or ນ້ຳເຜີ້ງ.
Meaning: sweet substance produced by bees (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lao | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ມະທຸ | ma thu |
| ນ້ຳເຜີ້ງ | nam phœ̄ng |
Both terms refer to the sweet substance produced by bees.
Which one should you use?
ມະທຸ is a formal or literary term for honey, often used in poetic or official contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
ma thu
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, where 'honey' is a common term of endearment for a partner, the Lao words ມະທຸ or ນ້ຳເຜີ້ງ are not used as romantic nicknames.
- Wild honey gathering is a significant traditional activity in the forests of Northern Laos, where specific techniques are used to harvest honey from high cliffs.
- Because ມະທຸ is so formal, using it in a casual setting like a grocery store might make you sound like a character from a historical epic.
Example sentences for Lao are not verified yet.
Example conversation
A and B are in the kitchen preparing tea.
- Aເຈົ້າຢາກໃສ່າມະທຸໃນນ້ຳຊາບໍ່?chao yak sai mathu nai nam sa bo?Do you want to put honey in the tea?
- Bແມ່ນແລ້ວ, ມັນຈະດີກວ່າໃສ່ນ້ຳຕານ.maen laew, man cha di kua sai nam tan.Yes, it will be better than putting sugar.
- Aມະທຸຢູ່ບົນໂຕະນັ້ນ.mathu yu bon toh nan.The honey is on that table.
- Bຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍໆ.khop chai lai lai.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honey” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
