อร่อย
à-rɔ̀i/ʔa˨˩.rɔj˨˩/
The Thai word for tasty is อร่อย (à-rɔ̀i).
อร่อย is used to describe food that has a pleasant and enjoyable flavor. You can modify it to change the intensity or emphasis: อร่อยมากๆ is an informal way to say something is very tasty, and อร่อยจัง is an informal phrase used to emphasize how tasty something is. For a more enthusiastic and natural sound in spoken Thai, you can add the particle เลย to the end, creating อร่อยมากเลย to mean "It's really tasty!"
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative, add the word ไม่ (not) before the word, resulting in ไม่อร่อย (not tasty). To say something is "very tasty" in a standard way, add the word มาก (very/much) after the word, creating อร่อยมาก.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is à-rɔ̀i. The phrase has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes try to use รสชาติดี (good taste) to mean tasty, but in casual conversation, อร่อย is the much more common and natural way to express that food tastes good.
Did you know?
- In Thailand, telling a host their food is อร่อย is not just a compliment but a vital social lubricant. Failing to praise the food can be interpreted as a subtle sign of dissatisfaction or social friction.
- In Southern Thailand, the word หรอย is used instead of อร่อย to say something is tasty. This regional variation is a point of strong local pride and identity.
- While อร่อย is the standard word, you will often hear Thais use a high-pitched, elongated sound when saying it to signal extreme delight. This tonal stretching acts as a visual and auditory 'emoji' for the speaker's emotion.
Examples in context
- แอปเปิลของพวกเขาไม่อร่อยเท่าของพวกเราTheir apples aren't as tasty as ours.This sentence is useful for comparing the tastiness of different apples using อร่อย.Tatoeba #4558356 by reminiz, translation #1580112 by fanty
- อาหารที่ร้านนี้ทำอร่อยจังเลยThe food at this restaurant is so incredibly tasty!
- ข้าวมันไก่ที่ร้านนี้อร่อยมากๆเลยThe chicken with rice at this restaurant is extremely tasty!
- อาหารร้านนี้อร่อยมากaa-haan raan nii a-roi maakThe food at this restaurant is very tasty.
- แกงเผ็ดจานนี้อร่อยดีgaeng phet jaan nii a-roi diiThis spicy curry is tasty.
Example conversation
A couple is eating lunch at a small cafe.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatณิชา ลองชิมดูสิ อร่อยไหมNi-cha long chim duu si, a-roi maiNicha, try some. Is it tasty?
- ณิชา Nichaอร่อยมากค่ะ ธีรภัทรA-roi maak kha, Thee-ra-phatIt is very tasty, Teeraphat.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatดีใจที่เธอชอบนะDii-jai thee thoe chop naI'm glad you like it.
- ณิชา Nichaสั่งเพิ่มอีกจานไหมคะSang phoem ik jaan mai khaShould we order another plate?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry อร่อย, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries อร่อย, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
