สวัสดีครับ
sà-wàt-dii khráppolite, male speaker
When greeting a girl in Thailand, a man says สวัสดีครับ (sà-wàt-dii khráp) and a woman says สวัสดีค่ะ (sà-wàt-dii khâ). The particle follows the speaker, not the girl. It is also called หวัดดี (wàt-dii).
Meaning: greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดีครับ | sà-wàt-dii khráp | polite, male speaker |
| หวัดดี | wàt-dii | casual |
| สวัสดีค่ะ | sà-wàt-dii khâ | polite, female speaker |
Between friends of the same age หวัดดี (wàt-dii) is enough. To an older woman or a stranger, keep the polite form and add a wai.
Which one should you use?
Thai does not change the greeting for the gender of the listener. What changes is the polite particle and the title you add, such as น้อง (nɔ́ɔng) for someone younger.
When do people say it?
Adding a name or a kinship word, such as พี่ (phîi) for an older person or น้อง (nɔ́ɔng) for a younger one, makes a Thai greeting sound friendlier.
Did you know?
- Thai people often use พี่ (phîi) and น้อง (nɔ́ɔng) for older and younger people, even among strangers.
Examples in context
- สวัสดีครับ น้องsà-wàt-dii khráp nɔ́ɔngHello, younger girl.
- หวัดดี แพรwàt-dii phrɛɛHi, Praae.
- สวัสดีค่ะ พี่sà-wàt-dii khâ phîiHello, older sister.
Example conversation
Ken says hello to his classmate Mali before class in Bangkok.
- Kenหวัดดี มะลิwàt-dii má-liHi, Mali.
- Maliหวัดดี เคนwàt-dii khenHi, Ken.
- Kenสบายดีไหมsà-baai dii mǎiHow are you?
