ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່?
chao sabai dee bor?
ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່? (chao sabai dee bor?) is the Lao way to say "are you okay?"
A common greeting used to ask someone how they are doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down literally as ເຈົ້າ (you), ສະບາຍດີ (comfortable/well) and ບໍ່ (question particle).
How do you pronounce it?
chao sabai dee bor?
Did you know?
- While ສະບາຍດີ functions as 'hello' in many contexts, its root word ສະບາຍ comes from the Pali word for 'comfort' or 'ease'.
- Lao and Thai both use ສະບາຍດີ (or 'sawatdee' in Thai), but the tones differ enough that a native speaker can tell which country a person is from immediately.
- In high-stress situations where 'are you okay?' means 'are you in danger?', the polite greeting ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່? would be inappropriate and sound strangely detached.
Examples in context
- ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່? ວຽກເປັນແນວໃດ?chao sabai dee bo? viak pen naeo dai?Are you doing okay? How is work?
Example conversation
Two friends meet each other on the street.
- Aສະບາຍດີ! ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່?Sabaidee! Chao sabaidee bo?Hello! Are you doing okay?
- Bຂ້ອຍສະບາຍດີ, ຂອບໃຈ.Khoy sabaidee, khop chai.I am doing okay, thank you.
- Aດີແລ້ວ.Dee laew.That is good.
- Bແລ້ວເຈົ້າເດ?Laew chao day?And how about you?
