แมงกะพรุน
mɛɛng-gà-prun/mɛːŋ˧.ka˨˩.pʰrun˧/
The Thai word for jellyfish is แมงกะพรุน (mɛɛng-gà-prun). Wiktionary also lists กะพรุน (gà-prun).
Meaning: aquatic animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| แมงกะพรุน | mɛɛng-gà-prun | /mɛːŋ˧.ka˨˩.pʰrun˧/ |
| กะพรุน | gà-prun | /ka˨˩.pʰrun˧/ |
This noun refers to the aquatic animal known as a jellyfish.
Which one should you use?
While แมงกะพรุน is the full term, speakers often shorten it to just กะพรุน in casual conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
mɛɛng-gà-prun
Did you know?
- In Thai, the word แมง at the start of แมงกะพรุน usually refers to insects or small creepy-crawlies, which can be confusing since jellyfish are not insects.
- When ordering ยำแมงกะพรุน, the focus is on the 'crunch' known as กรุบกรุบ, a sound-based word that describes the specific popping sensation of the jellyfish.
- Thai people often describe the sensation of a jellyfish sting using the word แสบ, which specifically refers to a burning or stinging pain rather than a general 'hurt'.
Examples in context
- ฉันเห็นแมงกะพรุนในทะเลchan hen maeng-ka-phrun nai tha-leI saw a jellyfish in the sea.
- แมงกะพรุนมีตัวใสๆmaeng-ka-phrun mi tua sai saiThe jellyfish has a transparent body.
- ระวังแมงกะพรุนด้วยนะra-wang maeng-ka-phrun duai naWatch out for the jellyfish.
Example conversation
At the beach, a woman warns a man about the sea creatures.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitในน้ำมีแมงกะพรุนไหมครับnai nam mi maeng-ka-phrun mai khrapAre there any jellyfish in the water?
- ณิชา Nichaมีแมงกะพรุนตัวเล็กๆ เยอะเลยค่ะmi maeng-ka-phrun tua lek lek yoe loei khaThere are many small jellyfish.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitถ้าอย่างนั้นผมไม่ลงเล่นน้ำดีกว่าtha yang nan phom mai long len nam di kwaIn that case, I better not go swimming.
- ณิชา Nichaใช่ค่ะ มันอันตรายนะคะchai kha, man an-ta-ray na khaYes, it is dangerous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jellyfish” translations and entries แมงกะพรุน, กะพรุน, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
