สวัสดีเธอ
Sawasdee thoe
สวัสดีเธอ (Sawasdee thoe) is the Thai way to say hello you.
This phrase is an informal greeting used when speaking to a friend or someone close. The greeting component, สวัสดี, is the most common way to say hello in Thai.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the greeting สวัสดี (sawasdee) and the second-person pronoun เธอ (thoe), which means 'you'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of the pronoun เธอ makes this greeting informal and suitable for friends or romantic partners. For a more formal approach, follow sawasdee with krap if you are male or kha if you are female.
How do you pronounce it?
Sawasdee thoe
When do people say it?
The traditional Thai greeting, known as the wai, involves pressing your palms together and slightly bowing your head.
Did you know?
- In very close friendships, Thai speakers often drop the สวัสดี entirely and instead greet each other by asking กินข้าวหรือยัง, which means 'have you eaten yet'.
- The word สวัสดี was actually coined in the 1930s by a professor of linguistics and adopted by the government to standardize Thai greetings.
- If you are speaking to a romantic partner, replacing เธอ with the word ตัวเอง (tua-eng) can make the phrase sound much more sweet and 'cute' in a way English lacks.
Example conversation
Two friends meeting at a cafe.
- พิมล Pimonสวัสดีเธอ นั่งตรงนี้สิsawasdee thoe nang trong nee siHello you, sit here.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatขอบใจนะพิมลkhop jai na phimonThanks, Phimon.
- พิมล Pimonสั่งอะไรหรือยังsang arai reu yangHave you ordered anything yet?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatยังเลย กำลังจะสั่งyang loey kam lang ja sangNot yet, I'm about to order.
