สวัสดี
sà-wàt-dii/sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/
In Thai, 'hi' is expressed as สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii). It is also spelled หวัดดี (wàt-dii).
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| สวัสดี | sà-wàt-dii | /sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/ | |
| หวัดดี | wàt-dii | /wat̚˨˩.diː˧/ | alternative form |
The word สวัสดี is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye' in Thai.
Which one should you use?
หวัดดี is an alternative spelling of สวัสดี.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase หวัดดี is an informal way to say hi in Thai. The shortened form หวัดดี is a colloquial version of สวัสดี used among friends or people of equal status.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the greeting polite, a male speaker should add the particle ครับ (khrap) at the end, forming สวัสดีครับ. To make the greeting polite, a female speaker should add the particle ค่ะ (kha) at the end, forming สวัสดีค่ะ.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is sà-wàt-dii.
When do people say it?
It is customary to accompany the greeting สวัสดี with a 'wai' (pressing palms together near the chest) to show respect.
Did you know?
- The word สวัสดี was not always a common greeting. It was officially introduced into the Thai language in the 1930s by a professor of linguistics to replace older ways of saying 'hello'.
- In Thai culture, the height and manner of your 'wai' while saying สวัสดี change depending on who you are greeting.
- สวัสดี is derived from the Sanskrit word svasti, which means 'luck' or 'success'.
Examples in context
- สวัสดีHi.This example shows the standalone form of สวัสดี.Tatoeba #499079 by ojiisan, translation #538123 by CM
- สวัสดีทอมHi, Tom.This example shows how to use สวัสดี with a name.Tatoeba #7784255 by pastelite, translation #2549834 by CK
- สวัสดีครับA Thai friend greets you by saying "สวัสดีครับ".
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman meet at a local cafe.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitสวัสดีครับ คุณกนกวรรณsawatdi khrap khun kanokwanHello, Ms. Kanokwan.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanสวัสดีค่ะ คุณชลสิทธิ์sawatdi kha khun chonlasitHello, Mr. Chonlasit.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitสบายดีไหมครับsabai di mai khrapHow are you?
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanสบายดีค่ะ ขอบคุณค่ะsabai di kha khop khun khaI am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” 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.
