Bengali Food Words and Phrases
Food is where a visitor to a Bengali household spends most of their time, and where the language is least optional. These are the words you need at a table, plus the one problem nobody warns you about: how to stop being given more.
| English | Bengali | In English letters |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | ভাত | bhat |
| Fish | মাছ | mach |
| Meat | মাংস | mangsho |
| Lentils | ডাল | dal |
| Vegetables | সবজি | shobji |
| Waterjol in West Bengal | পানি | pani |
| Tea | চা | cha |
| Salt | লবণ | lobon |
| Chilli | মরিচ | morich |
| Sweet | মিষ্টি | mishti |
| I am hungry | আমার ক্ষিদে পেয়েছে | amar khide peyechhe |
| It is delicious | খুব মজা হয়েছে | khub moja hoyechhe |
| I have eaten, thank you | খেয়েছি, ধন্যবাদ | kheyechhi, dhonnobad |
| Enough, reallyyou will need this | আর না, সত্যি | ar na, shotti |
| A little more | আর একটু | ar ektu |
| Not spicy, please | ঝাল কম | jhal kom |
| The bill, please | বিল দিন | bill din |
| Is it vegetarian? | এটা কি নিরামিষ? | eta ki niramish? |
What a phrasebook will not tell you
Refusing food is the hardest skill
In a Bengali household, saying you are full is heard as politeness rather than information, and more rice will arrive. The way out is to say it early, say it repeatedly, and put your hand over the plate — the gesture does more than the words. Ar na, shotti ('no more, really') said once will not work. This is not rudeness on either side; feeding a guest generously is the point, and a guest who eats little worries the host.
pani or jol tells people where you are from
Water is pani in Bangladesh and jol in West Bengal. Both are understood everywhere, but the word you choose marks you, and it is the single most recognisable difference between the two dialects.
'Have you eaten?' is a greeting, not an offer
Kheyechhen? is asked the way English speakers ask how you are. Answering yes is fine and does not decline anything. If you are in the house at a mealtime you will be fed regardless of the answer.
Bhat means rice and it means the meal
Asking someone if they have eaten bhat is asking whether they have had a proper meal, not specifically rice. A Bangladeshi who has eaten bread and eggs may still say they have not eaten — the meal was not a meal without rice.
Questions
How do you say water in Bengali?
Pani (পানি) in Bangladesh, jol (জল) in West Bengal. Both are understood in either place.
How do I say the food is delicious?
Khub moja hoyechhe (খুব মজা হয়েছে) — literally 'it has become very enjoyable'. It is what people actually say.
How do I stop being served more food?
Say ar na, shotti ('no more, really'), repeat it, and cover the plate with your hand. Saying it once will be treated as politeness.
How do I ask for less spice?
Jhal kom (ঝাল কম) — 'less chilli'. Jhal is chilli heat specifically, not spice in general.