มะนาว
má-naao/ma˦˥.naːw˧/
The Thai word for lime is มะนาว (má-naao).
มะนาว is a noun used to refer to the green citrus fruit known as a lime.
Meaning: green citrus fruit (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: má-naao.
Did you know?
- In Thailand, the price of มะนาว can skyrocket during the dry season, leading to national news reports about 'lime crises' that affect the cost of street food.
- While มะนาว refers to the small, sour lime, the larger lemon is called มะนาวเหลือง, which literally means 'yellow lime'.
- There is a distinct difference between the common มะนาว and the มะกรูด, which is the Kaffir lime used primarily for its fragrant leaves and bumpy rind rather than its juice.
Examples in context
- นี่คือต้นมะนาวThis is a lime tree.This sentence is useful for identifying a มะนาว tree.Tatoeba #8675970 by pastelite, translation #8106463 by iT4LL
- ฉันต้องการซื้อมะนาวบ้างค่ะ/ครับI want to buy some lime, please.
- ฉันชอบรสเปรี้ยวของมะนาวI love the tangy taste of lime.
- ฉันชอบใส่มะนาวในต้มยำ.chan chop sai ma-nao nai tom yum.I like to add lime to tom yum.
- มะนาวลูกนี้เปรี้ยวมาก.ma-nao luk ni priao mak.This lime is very sour.
Example conversation
In a kitchen, a woman asks a man to find an ingredient.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanธีรภัทร ช่วยหยิบมะนาวให้หน่อยค่ะ.theera-phat chuai yip ma-nao hai noi kha.Teerapat, please grab a lime for me.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatต้องใช้มะนาวกี่ลูกครับ?tong chai ma-nao ki luk khrap?How many limes do I need to use?
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanขอแค่ลูกเดียวพอค่ะ.kho khae luk diao pho kha.Just one is enough.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatนี่ครับมะนาว.ni khrap ma-nao.Here is the lime.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lime” translations and entries มะนาว, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
