What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'eat (polite) to/for delicious (particle)', or 'eat so that it is delicious'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ทานให้อร่อยนะ is a polite way to express this wish. For even greater formality and respect, you can add the polite particles ครับ (khrap) for men or ค่ะ (kha) for women to the end of the phrase. In contrast, for casual situations with friends or younger people, you can use the more informal กินให้อร่อยนะ which uses the casual verb 'kin' instead of the polite 'than'. Other informal variations include กินมากๆ, meaning 'eat a lot' or กินให้อิ่ม, which is used to wish someone that they eat until they are full.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is than hai aroi na. The IPA is /tʰaːn˧.haj˥˩.ʔa˨˩.rɔj˨˩.naʔ˦˥/ and it consists of 5 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Thailand, the act of eating is so central to social life that it is common to greet someone with กินข้าวหรือยัง which means 'Have you eaten yet?' rather than 'How are you?'
- While ทานให้อร่อยนะ is polite, the word ทาน is actually a loanword from the royal language known as ราชาศัพท์, adapted for general polite use.
- The word กิน (kin), used in the informal version, is the same word used for animals eating, so using it with the wrong level of politeness toward an elder could be seen as disrespectful.
Examples in context
- อาหารวางอยู่บนโต๊ะแล้ว ทานให้อร่อยนะa-han wang yu bon toh laeo, than hai a-roi naThe food is on the table, eat well.
- ฉันไปก่อนนะ ทานให้อร่อยนะchan pai kon na, than hai a-roi naI'm leaving now, eat well.
Example conversation
Pimol is leaving the restaurant while Witthawat is still eating.
- พิมล Pimonวิทวัส ฉันต้องไปแล้วนะwit-tha-wat chan tong pai laeo naWitthawat, I have to go now.
- วิทวัส Witthawatโอเคครับ เดินทางปลอดภัยนะok krap, dern thang plod phai naOkay, travel safely.
- พิมล Pimonทานให้อร่อยนะthan hai a-roi naEat well.
- วิทวัส Witthawatขอบคุณครับkhop khun krapThank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ทานให้อร่อยนะ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
