Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| สวัสดี | sà-wàt-dii | /sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/ | |
| สวัสดีครับ | sà-wàt-dii | ||
| สวัสดีค่ะ | sà-wàt-dii | ||
| หวัดดี | wàt-dii | /wat̚˨˩.diː˧/ | alternative form |
สวัสดี is a common greeting used to say both hello and goodbye. To show extra respect, you can add a person's name after the greeting.
Which one should you use?
สวัสดี is the standard form. สวัสดีครับ and สวัสดีค่ะ are expanded versions used to add politeness based on the gender of the speaker. หวัดดี is a shortened, colloquial version of the greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
สวัสดีครับ is the formal/polite version for male speakers, and สวัสดีค่ะ is the formal/polite version for female speakers. หวัดดี is an informal version used among friends or people of equal status.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the greeting polite, male speakers add the particle ครับ to the end of สวัสดี, while female speakers add the particle ค่ะ to the end.
How do you pronounce it?
sà-wàt-dii (IPA: /sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/)
When do people say it?
In Thailand, it is customary to perform a 'wai', a gesture made by pressing your palms together near your chest and bowing your head, while saying สวัสดี.
Did you know?
- While สวัสดี is the standard greeting, Thais often greet friends by asking กินข้าวหรือยัง which means 'have you eaten yet' instead.
- When performing the 'wai' gesture during a greeting, the height of your hands relative to your face can signal different levels of respect.
- The word สวัสดี is borrowed from the Sanskrit word svasti, which refers to 'well-being' or 'prosperity'.
Examples in context
- สวัสดี!Hello!This example shows a simple, direct hello using สวัสดี.Tatoeba #7784257 by pastelite, translation #373330 by CK
- สวัสดีทอมHello, Tom.This example shows how to say hello to a specific person using สวัสดี.Tatoeba #7784255 by pastelite, translation #54604 by Zifre
- พูดสวัสดีSay hello.This example shows the phrase used in the context of saying hello.Tatoeba #7878975 by pastelite, translation #2111563 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues meet at the office entrance.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanสวัสดีค่ะ คุณวิทวัสSawatdee kha khun WitthawatHello, Mr. Witthawat.
- วิทวัส Witthawatสวัสดีครับ คุณกนกวรรณSawatdee krab khun KanokwanHello, Ms. Kanokwan.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanวันนี้สบายดีไหมคะWan nee sabai dee mai khaHow are you today?
- วิทวัส Witthawatสบายดีครับ ขอบคุณครับSabai dee krab khob khun krabI am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries สวัสดี, หวัดดี, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries สวัสดี, หวัดดี, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
