Ngon

Ngon is a Vietnamese adjective meaning delicious or tasty. It is used to describe food, drinks, and other experiences perceived as flavorful. The word is common in everyday conversation, menus, and food advertising. Common phrases include món ngon "delicious dish" and đồ ăn ngon "delicious food."

Usage and nuance: In statements, "Món này ngon." In exclamations, "Ngon quá!" In questions, "Có ngon không?" The expression ăn ngon or ăn ngon miệng signifies enjoying a meal. Intensifiers such as "lắm" or "quá" frequently accompany ngon, e.g., "Ngon quá" or "Ngon lắm" to emphasize tastiness. In some contexts, ngon appears in fixed collocations like "ngon – bổ – rẻ" (tasty, nutritious, affordable).

Cultural context: Taste is central in Vietnamese cuisine and dining culture. "Món ngon" is a common objective in home cooking and restaurant criticism, and the word appears on menus and signage to signal quality. The term is widely understood across dialects and social registers.

Origin and classification: Ngon is a native Vietnamese word from the Austroasiatic language family. It has no comparative or tense inflection as an adjective and is used as a stative descriptor of taste. The term is widely taught in language learning resources and appears in literature and media describing food.

See also: Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese language, món ngon.