Language/Thai/Vocabulary/Saying-Hello

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Next Lesson — Asking for Name and Nationality ▶️

Thai Vocabulary → Basic Greetings & Introductions → Saying Hello

As a Thai language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the world of Thai vocabulary and grammar. In this lesson, we will learn how to greet someone in Thai and introduce ourselves. As a complete beginner, this is the perfect place to start your language learning journey.

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Asking for Name and Nationality & Time.

Basic Greetings

Let's start with the most basic greeting in Thai: สวัสดี (s̄wạs̄dii). This can be used to say both "hello" and "goodbye" in informal situations. The word is pronounced "sah-wah-dee" and can be used at any time of day.

If you want to be more formal, you can say สวัสดีครับ (s̄wạs̄dii khráp) for males and สวัสดีค่ะ (s̄wạs̄dii khâ) for females. These phrases add a polite ending to the word "hello."

You can respond to "hello" in Thai by saying สวัสดี or สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ.

Another common Thai greeting is ไหว้ (wâi), which involves placing your hands in a prayer position as a sign of respect. It is often used when greeting elders or people in positions of authority, such as teachers or monks.

To say "how are you?" in Thai, you can say สบายดีไหม (sà-baai-dii-măi). This phrase is pronounced "sah-bye-dee-mai" and is often used as a form of small talk.

Introducing Yourself

To introduce yourself in Thai, you can say ผม/ฉันชื่อ (phŏm/chăn chêu). The word ผม (phŏm) is used by males, while ฉัน (chăn) is used by females. The word ชื่อ (chêu) means "name."

For example, if your name is John, you can say:

ผมชื่อ John (phŏm chêu John) for males ฉันชื่อ John (chăn chêu John) for females

You can also ask someone's name by saying คุณชื่ออะไร (khun chêu à-rai). This phrase is pronounced "koon chêu ah-rai" and is formal. A more casual way of asking someone's name is ชื่ออะไร (chêu à-rai). This phrase is pronounced "chêu ah-rai."

Vocabulary

Here are some essential Thai vocabulary words and phrases related to greetings and introductions:

Thai	Pronunciation	English
สวัสดี	s̄wạs̄dii	Hello
สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ	s̄wạs̄dii khráp/khâ	Hello (formal)
ไหว้	wâi	Greeting with hands in a prayer position
สบายดีไหม	sà-baai-dii-măi	How are you?
ผม/ฉันชื่อ	phŏm/chăn chêu	My name is (for males/females)
คุณชื่ออะไร	khun chêu à-rai	What is your name? (formal)
ชื่ออะไร	chêu à-rai	What's your name? (casual)

Practice

Now that you have learned some essential Thai vocabulary related to greetings and introductions, it is time to practice what you have learned. Here are some exercises you can try:

Practice saying "hello" in Thai to friends or family members.
Imagine you are meeting a new Thai friend. Practice introducing yourself using the Thai vocabulary we learned.
Practicing asking and answering the question "What's your name?" with a partner.

Remember, practice makes perfect! Don't be afraid to make mistakes and keep learning.

Sources

Table of Contents - Thai Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Basic Greetings & Introductions

Basic Sentence Structure

Numbers and Counting

Present Tense Verbs

Thai Culture and Customs

Daily Activities

Adverbs

Colors

Pronouns

Thai Geography and Places

Animals

Prepositions

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