ngon
[ŋɔn˧˧]
The Vietnamese word for yummy is ngon. Wiktionary also lists thơm ngon and ngon miệng.
Meaning: delicious (adj)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| ngon | [ŋɔn˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ŋɔŋ˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| thơm ngon | [tʰəːm˧˧ ŋɔn˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| ngon miệng | [ŋɔn˧˧ miəŋ˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ŋɔŋ˧˧ miəŋ˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
To express that something is 'so delicious', you can say ngon quá or use ngon lắm to mean 'very delicious'.
What does it mean word for word?
The form thơm ngon is a compound of thơm, meaning fragrant or scented and ngon, meaning delicious. The form ngon miệng is a compound of ngon, meaning delicious and miệng, meaning mouth.
Which one should you use?
ngon is the most common and versatile way to say something tastes good. thơm ngon is used when you want to emphasize a pleasant aroma.
How does it change in a sentence?
To intensify the meaning of ngon, you can place the word lắm after it to mean 'very delicious'.
When do people say it?
You can say Chúc ngon miệng! to mean 'Bon appétit!'
Did you know?
- While thơm describes a pleasant smell, it can also be used as a verb meaning 'to kiss' when used as a mark of affection.
- The word ngon can describe things other than food, such as a 'delicious' or attractive look when describing a person's appearance in slang.
- The word thơm is an ancient relative of the Khmer word thum, both originating from a root meaning 'fragrant' in the Proto-Mon-Khmer language.
Examples in context
- Món này thật ngon!This dish is really yummy!
- Kem trái cây này ngon lắm!This fruit ice cream is delicious!
- Nước mắm đậm vị này thật ngon!This flavorful fish sauce is really yummy!
- Món này rất ngon.This dish is very delicious.
- Bát phở này ngon quá!This bowl of pho is so yummy!
- Mẹ nấu ăn rất ngon.Mom cooks very delicious food.
Example conversation
Lan and Hung are eating lunch at a small restaurant.
- LanHùng thấy món này thế nào?Hung, how do you find this dish?
- HùngNgon lắm, Lan ơi!It is very yummy, Lan!
- LanMình cũng thấy rất ngon.I also find it very delicious.
- HùngChúng ta nên quay lại đây.We should come back here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yummy” translations and entries ngon, ngon miệng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (thơm, ngon) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries miệng, ngon, ngon miệng, thơm, CC BY-SA 4.0.
