Food and drink น้ำปลา náam-bplaa
fish sauce noun
- náam high
- bplaa mid
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Parts: น้ำnáam water, liquid ปลาbplaa fish
How to use it
The salty, amber sauce made from fermented anchovies and salt: the main salt of Thai cooking. On every table is a little bowl of พริกน้ำปลาprík náam-bplaa, fish sauce with sliced chillies and sometimes lime and garlic, to spoon over rice, eggs and fried rice.
If you're vegetarian, ask for dishes without it: ไม่ใส่น้ำปลาmâi sài náam-bplaa.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- nam pla
- nampla
- nam plaa
- nahm pla
More food and drink in Thai
All food and drink- ข้าว kâao Rice
- ข้าวเหนียว kâao-nǐaw Sticky rice
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง kâao-nǐaw má-mûang Mango sticky rice
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones