สวัสดี
sà-wàt-dii/sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/
สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) is the Thai phrase for hello and goodbye.
สวัสดี is a versatile general greeting used when arriving and when departing, functioning similarly to how 'aloha' is used in Hawaiian. For a common way to say hello in most situations, speakers often use Sawatdee Krub/Ka. If you specifically want to say 'see you later' or 'we'll meet again', you would use Laew Phop Kan.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the greeting polite, speakers add a gender-specific particle at the end. Male speakers add the particle ครับ (khráp) to the end of สวัสดี to say สวัสดีครับ. Female speakers add the particle ค่ะ (khâ) to the end of สวัสดี to say สวัสดีค่ะ.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is sà-wàt-dii. It has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
When saying สวัสดี, it is customary to perform the 'wai', which involves placing your palms together in a prayer-like gesture to show respect.
Did you know?
- The word สวัสดี was not always a daily greeting. It was officially coined in the 1930s by a Thai philologist and adopted by the government to modernize the language.
- In very casual settings among close friends, Thai speakers often skip สวัสดี entirely and instead ask Kin khao rue yang?, which means 'Have you eaten rice yet?'
- When performing the 'wai' to accompany สวัสดี, the height of your hands relative to your face communicates your level of respect for the other person.
Examples in context
- สวัสดีครับsawasdee khrapHello.
Example conversation
Thanakrit and Sirin meet at a cafe.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritสวัสดีครับคุณสิรินทร์sawasdee khrap khun sirinHello, Ms. Sirin.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinสวัสดีค่ะคุณธนกฤตsawasdee kha khun thanakritHello, Mr. Thanakrit.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritวันนี้ผมต้องไปแล้วนะครับwan nee phom tong pai laeo na khrapI have to go now.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinสวัสดีค่ะ ไว้เจอกันใหม่นะsawasdee kha wai joe kan mai naGoodbye, see you again.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry สวัสดี, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
