Describing things เหนียว nǐaw
sticky; chewy, tough (meat) adjective
- nǐaw rising
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
How to use it
เหนียวnǐaw is sticky or chewy: it's the "sticky" in ข้าวเหนียวkâao-nǐaw, sticky rice, and also the word for tough meat. Food lovers praise noodles and sticky rice that are เหนียวนุ่มnǐaw nûm, chewy and soft. On humid days Thais complain of feeling เหนียวตัวnǐaw dtua, sticky all over, and a person who is ขี้เหนียวkîi-nǐaw is stingy.
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:
- niao
- neow
- nhiao
- niew
More describing things in Thai
All describing things
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones