Food and drinkSoy sauce in Thai
“Soy sauce” in Thai is ซีอิ๊วsii-íu; you'll also hear ซอสถั่วเหลืองsáwt-tùa-lǔeang (on labels).
soy sauce noun
- sii mid
- íu high
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
soy sauce (on labels; Japanese-style) noun
- sáwt high
- tùa low
- lǔeang rising
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
How to use it
ซีอิ๊วsii-íu comes from Teochew Chinese, like many Thai kitchen words. Light soy sauce is ซีอิ๊วขาวsii-íu kǎao, "white", and thick, sweet dark soy sauce ซีอิ๊วดำsii-íu dam, "black", which gives ผัดซีอิ๊วpàt-sii-íu its colour. ซอสถั่วเหลืองsáwt-tùa-lǔeang, "soybean sauce", is the name on labels and for Japanese-style soy sauce with sushi.
Thai cooks often reach for fish sauce instead, or a bottled seasoning sauce.
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:
- si io
- see ew
- siew
- si-io
- see-iw
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