What is better than a warm sà wàt dii (สวัสดี) from a friend? It is great to hear them say hello after a long day at work.
Wouldn’t it be even better if strangers also gave you a kind greeting? That is why it is so important to learn to greet people before you leave for your travels.
Learning to say hello in Thai or any language is just as important as learning to say thank you in Thai, as you will be saying it to everyone you meet when you visit Thailand.
Here are a few words and phrases that you can use to make the best first impression and bring a smile to people’s faces.
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How Do You Say Hello In Thai?
So let’s start with a basic hello in Thai. This is what you would use every day when meeting people:
The word for ‘hello’ is sà wàt dii (สวัสดี).
- Males: sà wàt dii khráp (สวัสดีครับ)
- Females: sà wàt dii kâ (สวัสดีค่ะ)
As we learned before, when we look at the Thai language, there are polite particles that apply based on the gender of the speaker, khráp for males, and kâ for females.
The term sà wàt dii (สวัสดี) can be used to say good morning, good afternoon, and good evening too, which makes everything much easier, don’t you agree?
This basic form of hello is pretty much universal. In most situations, whether talking to a shopkeeper, friends, or family, it would be seen as appropriate.
Ok, so how exactly do you say hi in Thai? That is a bit more casual and less of a mouth full, after all. Well, you may be surprised, but the idea of shortening the word is actually done in Thai too.
While there is no exact match for hi, this is probably the closest to its meaning.
The equivalent for ‘hi’ in Thai is wàt dii (หวัดดี).
Again, you can add Thai polite particles to the end.
That would make this almost as polite as the word for hello, but just slightly less formal.
How To Do “Wai” Thai Greeting
Now is probably a good time to introduce the term wâi (ไหว้).
When people ask how to say hello in Thai, they should also consider non-verbal ways. It’s also often used when you say ‘thank you’ in Thai.
Wai is the action of putting your hands together and lifting them up to your face, most commonly when saying hello and goodbye.
It is derived from the same background as the Hindu namaste greeting.
You are not expected to do this all the time. You wouldn’t want to do wai to your friends who you often see, for example.
If someone does it to you, then that is probably the time to do it. You can use the wai in place of saying hello or goodbye as well.
If you are in a situation where it is inappropriate to talk or otherwise make noise, a wai would be a polite way to greet others in Thailand.
Think of it as an alternative to waving to your friends, but a bit more formal, conservative, and respectful.
Of course, there are other ways you can greet people, depending on your relationship and how close you are to them.
2 Different Ways To Greet People In Thai
If you are getting tired of saying sà wàt dii to everyone, you can try mixing it up a little with these alternatives.
1. Sà Baai Dii Rʉ̌ʉ (สบายดีหรือ)
While this means ‘how are you?’ which usually comes after the hello, you can just start things off by asking this.
2. Bpen Yang Ngai Bâang (เป็นยังไงบ้าง)
This is a much more informal greeting – closer to ‘what’s up?’ – that should only be used between friends. You would sound really cool saying it, though.
Some of these greetings are best used in certain situations, so make sure you remember the best times and places to use them.
If you are not sure, your best option is to stick with the regular hello, especially if you think you might cause offense.
But, I’m sure whoever you are talking to will be shocked that you are able to greet them beyond the basic ‘hello’!
How To Say Hello In Thai On Different Times Of Day
While a simple hello is timeless and can be used whenever, there are some greetings that can be used at specific times of day. You know what I mean, things like ‘good morning’ in Thai.
Essentially, you are taking the word for hello in Thai and adding dtɔɔn (ตอน), which means ‘at’ followed by the word for the time of day. If you look back at telling the time in Thai, you should recognize some words here. You may also remember that Thai people are a bit stricter when they use these words. Let’s start from the beginning of the day:
1. Sà Wàt Dii Dtɔɔn Cháao (สวัสดีตอนเช้า)
To say good morning in Thai, you take the word for hello and add dtɔɔn cháao (ตอนเช้า). The word cháao (เช้า) means morning.
2. Sà Wát Dìi Dtɔɔn Bàai (สวัสดีตอนบ่าย)
This is the word for a good afternoon in Thai. The word bàai (บ่าย) here means, as you may have guessed, afternoon.
3. Sà Wát Dìi Dtɔɔn Yen (สวัสดีตอนเย็น)
This means good evening in Thai, where the word yen (เย็น) means late afternoon/evening.
You should know, however, that there are formal varieties of these words, though it is quite rare for Thai people to actually use these phrases in place of hello.
They are usually reserved for use in official capacities, like on Thai news channels, rather than in everyday speech.
How Do Thai People Say Hello On The Phone And Online?
What do you say when you answer the phone?
Now, this is an interesting question. When using messaging apps or on the phone, people often use different greetings.
Well, what I have found is that when picking up the phone, many people actually use the word hello in Thai but with an accent.
1. Han Lǒo (ฮัลโหล)
This would be used when answering a phone call when more in a non-working environment. If using a phone at work, they would use the more polite/professional sound ‘sa wat dee’.
When messaging with friends, they also tend to use some of the English varieties of hello.
2. Hé (เฮ้)
The word for hey in Thai is quite common for messages as it is short. It’s the same reason we use it in English.
Saying Goodbyes
Unfortunately, with every ‘hello’, there is a ‘goodbye’. These are just as important as greetings as it lets them know that you are going.
If you were worried that it would be a complicated phrase that you would need to remember, then good news. To say ‘goodbye’, you use the same words as ‘hello’.
1. Goodbye In Thai Is ‘Sà Wát Dìi’
I am sure you are happy to hear that you don’t need to worry about mixing the words up. There are other ways to say goodbye too. Again, these are dependent on the situation you are in.
2. Lɛ́ɛo Póp Gan Mài Ná (แล้วพบกันใหม่นะ)
This one is a bit of a mouth full. It translates more like ‘see you again’ and so is more light-hearted.
3. Laa Gɔ̀ɔn (ลาก่อน)
This one is best used when you will not see the person for a long time, if ever again. It is quite a sad thing to have to say.
How Do You Say Hello In Thai?
“Hello” in Thai is sà wàt dii (สวัสดี) . This is the general way to say hello, and can be used in most situations.
Other Vocabulary For Hello In Thai
Now that you know how to say hello in Thai, you can try practicing talking about greetings in Thai with these example sentences.
Tips When Saying Hello In Thai
A very simple and versatile phrase, saying hello in Thai is as simple as a sà wát dìi (สวัสดี). However, there are some tips you should keep in mind when practicing or saying this phrase:
- Although saying sà wát dìi (สวัสดี) is acceptable, but when talking to older family members or strangers, using khráp (ครับ) or kâ (ค่ะ) after is recommended. Pair this with a wâi (ไหว้) if you want to be extra polite or show extra respect!
- When you’re saying goodbye, you can also say sà wát dìi (สวัสดี) to be respectful!
- If someone’s calling you and you want to be more casual when picking up, you can say either ‘hello’ or ‘hi’ just like in English. Just say it with a Thai accent!
- Depending on the time of day, you can change the sà wát dìi (สวัสดี) greeting by specifying the time afterwards. Morning, afternoon, and evening are dtɔɔn cháao (ตอนเช้า), dtɔɔn bàai (ตอนบ่าย), and dtɔɔn yen (ตอนเย็น), respectively. This is very formal, and not needed if you’re talking to close family or friends.
Whenever you’re saying a greeting in Thai, always assess to see the situation first.
You don’t want to be overly formal, overly casual, or say good morning when it’s night!
Frequently Asked Questions About Hello In Thai
1. How To Greet A Thai Person?
When being introduced or greeting someone, men say sà wát dìi khráp (สวัสดีครับ) and women say sà wàt dii kâ (สวัสดีค่ะ). Thais greet each other with a wai.
Foreigners are not expected to initiate the wai gesture, but it is an insult not to return the wai. If a wai is not offered to you, shake hands with men and smile and nod to women.
2. How Else Can I Say Hello In Thai?
Rather than saying hi or hello, Thai people generally greet each other by saying ‘where are you going?’, ‘where are you coming from?’ or ‘did you eat yet?’.
If they haven’t met in quite a while, they may also ask sà baai dii mǎi (สบายดีไหม?).
3. What Are Some Basic Greetings In Thai?
In Thai, you can greet someone by saying sà wát dìi khráp (สวัสดีครับ) for males or sà wàt dii kâ (สวัสดีค่ะ) for females. To wish someone a good morning, say sà wàt dii dtɔɔn cháao (สวัสดีตอนเช้า).
For good afternoon, use sà wát dìi dtɔɔn bàai (สวัสดีตอนบ่าย), and for good evening, say sà wát dìi dtɔɔn yen (สวัสดีตอนเย็น).
To ask, ‘how are you?’ in Thai, say sà baai dii mǎi khráp (สบายดีไหมครับ) for males or sà baai dii mǎi kâ (สบายดีไหมค่ะ) for females.
Greet Everyone In Thai Today!
Saying hello in Thai is a simple yet delightful way to connect with the local culture, family, and friends.
Learning these basic phrases not only shows respect but also opens the door to warm and friendly interactions.
So, next time you meet someone from Thailand, remember to greet them with a cheerful sà wát dìi and enjoy the smiles it brings!
Get Closer To Thai Culture By Learning Thai
When you learn Thai language, it can help you connect more closely with relatives or friends that live in Thailand. Sà wát dìi (สวัสดี) and other common greetings are a great place to start your Thai language journey.
Language learning apps like the Ling app are an excellent place to start learning beginner to advanced vocabulary and phrases.
Beginner units can give you a great primer on basic adjectives and phrases, taking you to a conversational level with relatives in no time with detailed but digestible lessons.
If you want to improve your Thai to speak to your relatives or to connect with your roots, we recommend the Ling app to help you do just that!