Food and drinkThirsty in Thai
“Thirsty” in Thai is หิวน้ำhǐu-náam; you'll also hear คอแห้งkaw-hâeng (parched).
หิวน้ำ hǐu-náam
thirsty adjective
- hǐu rising
- náam high
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Parts: หิวhǐu hungry น้ำnáam water
คอแห้ง kaw-hâeng
parched (literally 'dry throat') adjective
- kaw mid
- hâeng falling
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
Parts: คอkaw throat แห้งhâeng dry
How to use it
Thirsty is literally "hungry for water", หิวน้ำhǐu-náam; หิวhǐu on its own is about food. คอแห้งkaw-hâeng, "dry throat", is what you say on a sweltering afternoon.
Ask for plain water, น้ำเปล่าnáam-bplàao, or cold water, น้ำเย็นnáam yen.
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:
- hiu nam
- hew nam
- hiw naam
- kor haeng
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