สวัสดีครับ
sawatdee khrap
The phrase "hello to a male" in Thai is สวัสดีครับ (sawatdee khrap).
This phrase is a polite greeting used by a speaker to address a man.
Which one should you use?
While a man says สวัสดีครับ (sawatdee khrap) to be polite, a woman says สวัสดีค่ะ (sawatdee kha) to be polite.
How do you pronounce it?
sawatdee khrap
Did you know?
- The word สวัสดี (sawatdee) is actually a relatively modern addition to the Thai language, having been coined in the early 20th century to create a standardized greeting similar to Western conventions.
- While สวัสดี (sawatdee) is the official greeting, close friends or family members rarely use it. Instead, they often greet each other by asking กินข้าวหรือยัง (kin khao rue yang), which means 'have you eaten yet?'
- When saying สวัสดีครับ, it is common practice to perform a 'Wai' by pressing your palms together near your chest and bowing your head slightly. This physical gesture is just as important as the spoken words to show respect.
Examples in context
- สวัสดีครับคุณพ่อsawasdee krap khun phorHello, father.
- สวัสดีครับคุณครูsawasdee krap khun khruHello, teacher.
Example conversation
A man greets a female colleague at the office.
- วิทวัส Witthawatสวัสดีครับ คุณสิรินทร์Sawatdee krap khun SirinHello, Ms. Sirin.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinสวัสดีค่ะ คุณวิทวัสSawatdee ka khun WitthawatHello, Mr. Witthawat.
- วิทวัส WitthawatสบายดีไหมครับSabai dee mai krapHow are you?
- สิรินทร์ Sirinสบายดีค่ะ ขอบคุณค่ะSabai dee ka khob khun kaI am fine, thank you.
