ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່?
jao sabai di bor?
How are you? In Lao is ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່? (jao sabai di bor?)
ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່? is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or health. While it translates to 'how are you?', it is often used as a standard polite greeting rather than a deep inquiry into one's actual health.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down into ເຈົ້າ (you), ສະບາຍດີ (comfortable/well) and ບໍ່ (question particle).
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle ບໍ່ (bor) at the end of the sentence turns the statement 'you are well' into the question 'are you well?'
How do you pronounce it?
jao sabai di bor?
When do people say it?
A common response to this greeting is ສະບາຍດີ, ຂອບໃຈ (sabai di, khop chai), which means 'I am well, thank you'.
Did you know?
- While ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່? asks about well-being, Lao speakers frequently use ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່? meaning 'have you eaten rice yet?' as a primary way to say 'how are you?'
- In Lao culture, the height of the hands during the 'nop' gesture when saying ສະບາຍດີ indicates the social status of the person being greeted.
- The word ສະບາຍ in ສະບາຍດີ shares a root with the Pali and Sanskrit words for 'comfort' and 'ease', reflecting the influence of Buddhist texts on the Lao language.
Example conversation
Two neighbors meet on the street in the morning.
- Aສະບາຍດີ, ເຈົ້າສະບາຍດີບໍ່?sa bai dee, chao sa bai dee bor?Hello, how are you?
- Bຂ້ອຍສະບາຍດີ, ຂອບໃຈ.khoy sa bai dee, khop chai.I am well, thank you.
- Aດີຫຼາຍ.dee lai.That is very good.
- Bເຈົ້າເດ?chao der?And you?
