Food and drink เปรี้ยวหวาน bprîaw-wǎan
sweet and sour adjective
- bprîaw falling
- wǎan rising
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
Parts: เปรี้ยวbprîaw sour หวานwǎan sweet
How to use it
Thai says it the other way round: "sour-sweet". ผัดเปรี้ยวหวานpàt bprîaw-wǎan is a mild stir-fry of pork, chicken or fish with pineapple, tomato, cucumber and onion in a tangy sauce, a safe choice for children and anyone avoiding chilli.
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:
- priao wan
- prio wan
- pad priew wan
- phat priao wan
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