ราตรีสวัสดิ์
raa-dtrii-sà-wàt/raː˧.triː˧.sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩/
The English phrase "good night" is expressed in Thai as ราตรีสวัสดิ์ (raa-dtrii-sà-wàt).
In Thai, you can use different expressions depending on how formal the situation is. While ราตรีสวัสดิ์ is a literal translation for a farewell at night, the informal expression ฝันดี is used to mean "have a good dream" and is the much more common way to say good night in daily life.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ราตรีสวัสดิ์ is composed of ราตรี (raa-dtrii), meaning "night" and สวัสดิ์ (sà-wàt), meaning "well-being" or "prosperity".
Which one should you use?
ราตรีสวัสดิ์ is a formal farewell, whereas ฝันดี is an informal way to say "sweet dreams" or "have a good dream". Thai speakers are much more likely to use ฝันดี in casual settings with friends rather than the formal ราตรีสวัสดิ์.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ราตรีสวัสดิ์ is a formal way to say good night and is rarely used in casual daily conversation between friends. For informal situations, use ฝันดี.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the formal phrase ราตรีสวัสดิ์ more polite, you should add the particle ครับ (krap) if you are male or ค่ะ (ka) if you are female.
How do you pronounce it?
raa-dtrii-sà-wàt
Did you know?
- In text messaging, Thai youths often shorten ฝันดี to just fd using Romanized Thai script, which functions like 'gn' does in English.
- The word ราตรี in the formal 'good night' is actually a loanword from Sanskrit, rather than being native to the Thai language.
- If you use ราตรีสวัสดิ์ with your close friends or a romantic partner, they might think you are being jokingly dramatic or overly stiff.
Examples in context
- ราตรีสวัสดิ์ครับ/ค่ะGood night (formal)!
- ฝันดีนะSleep well (informal)!
- ฝันดีครับ/ค่ะHave a good night!
- ราตรีสวัสดิ์ครับทุกคนrâatri-sàwát kráp thúk-khonGood night, everyone.
- หลับฝันดี ราตรีสวัสดิ์นะlàp fǎn dii, râatri-sàwát náSleep well, good night.
- ราตรีสวัสดิ์ค่ะคุณแม่râatri-sàwát khâ khun mâeGood night, mother.
Example conversation
A daughter is saying goodbye to her father before going to bed.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitหนูจะไปนอนแล้วค่ะhǔu jà pai non láew khâI am going to bed now.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinราตรีสวัสดิ์นะลูกrâatri-sàwát ná lûukGood night, my child.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitฝันดีนะคะคุณพ่อfǎn dii ná khá khun phâawSweet dreams, father.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinจ้ะ นอนได้แล้วjà, non dâi láewOkay, go to sleep now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries ราตรีสวัสดิ์, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
