How to say "hello" in Thai (with phonetics)
สวัสดี
sà-wàt-dii
Hello (polite, everyday)
When you are greeting someone, this is the everyday way to say "hello" in Thai.
Tips
- A man ends it with ครับ: สวัสดีครับ sà-wàt-dii khráp. A woman ends it with ค่ะ: สวัสดีค่ะ sà-wàt-dii khâ.
- Tone tip: sà and wàt are both low tones and dii is mid (flat). Say it low-low-flat, not rising at the end like an English question. The particles differ in tone too: khráp is high, khâ is falling.
- You can also put your hands together in a wâi (ไหว้) as you say it. Raise them higher to show more respect to elders.
Word by word
- สวัสดี sà-wàt-dii: hello (also used for goodbye) (Works at any time of day, with anyone. Add the polite particle at the end (see notes).)
Say it your own way
Type it half in English, half in Thai, spelled any way you like: Thinglish works out what you meant and gives you the Thai with tones and a native voice.
More phrases
- How to say "thank you" in Thai (with phonetics)
- How to say "excuse me" in Thai (with phonetics)
- How to say "sorry" in Thai (with phonetics)
- How to say "how much is it?" in Thai (with phonetics)
- How to say "it's too expensive" in Thai (with phonetics)
Romanisation and tones are written by the Thinglish tutor. Generated 2026-10-24.