สวัสดี
sà-wàt-dii/sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/
In Thai, the way to say hi is 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 the most common and versatile way to say hi in Thai. It is also used to say goodbye when leaving a group or person.
Which one should you use?
หวัดดี is an alternative spelling and a colloquial version of สวัสดี.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The shortened form หวัดดี is used informally among friends. To be formal and polite, men should use สวัสดีครับ and women should use สวัสดีค่ะ.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Southern region, people might use salaam to greet each other.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of สวัสดี is sà-wàt-dii. It has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
It is customary to accompany the greeting with a wai (ไหว้), a traditional Thai gesture of respect where one places palms together near the chest in a praying position and bows slightly to show respect.
Did you know?
- The word สวัสดี was not always used as a daily greeting. It was officially coined and introduced into common usage by the Thai government in the 1930s to modernize the language.
- While สวัสดี is the standard greeting, Thai people often replace it with a question about eating, such as กินข้าวหรือยัง meaning 'have you eaten yet'. This serves as a friendly way to say 'hi' and show care.
- While the wai gesture accompanies สวัสดี, the height of the hands indicates social status. Placing the thumbs between the eyebrows is reserved for monks or royalty and is far more formal than a chest-level greeting.
Examples in context
- สวัสดีHi.This sentence shows how to use สวัสดี as a simple greeting.Tatoeba #499079 by ojiisan, translation #538123 by CM
- สวัสดีทอมHi, Tom.This sentence shows how to use สวัสดี when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #7784255 by pastelite, translation #2549834 by CK
- สวัสดีครับคุณครูsawatdee khrap khun khruuHello, teacher.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students meet in the hallway at school.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritสวัสดีครับสิรินทร์sawatdee khrap sirinHello, Sirin.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinสวัสดีค่ะธนกฤตsawatdee kha thanakritHello, Thanakrit.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritวันนี้อากาศร้อนมากเลยนะwan-ni a-kaat ron maak loei naThe weather is very hot today.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinใช่ค่ะ ร้อนจริงๆchai kha ron jing jingYes, it really is hot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries สวัสดี, หวัดดี, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
