If the answer is “Gin leow!” (Eaten already), you can follow up with, “Gin arai khrup/ka?” (What did you eat?) You will regularly hear Thais ask friends and people they see daily around the neighbourhood whether or not they have eaten.įor Thai people, this similar to asking how someone is because it indicates that you care about their welfare. In fact, at one time this was used as a primary greeting in Thailand. Sounds like a funny thing to ask someone after saying “hello”, right? No doubt they'll be chuffed that you noticed they'd been gone a while. This is a statement you'll want to use when you haven't seen a particular person around in a while. Mai jer gaan nan leuy khrup/ka! – I haven't see you for a long time! ม่เจอกันนานเลยครับ /ค่ะ This is the preferred way of asking someone you see on a regular basis: “What's been going on? / what's happening? / what's up?” 2. It's a welcome alternative if you're kind of bored of the same “how are you” greeting. This is similar to “Saibaidee mai khrup/ka” but less formal. *BTW, as always, it's polite (necessary) to add “Khrup” (for a man) and “Ka” (for a lady) to the end of these questions/statements. These are all common phrases and questions regularly used by Thais, and will help casual “hellos” blossom into light friendships.īe sure to check out the video at the end to help with your pronunciation: This will improve your ability to speak Thai and help you develop friendships with the locals. So, for those of you who don't speak much Thai, I'm going to arm you with 10 more Thai language sentences you can integrate easily into passing conversation. These two phrases get a little repetitive and somewhat boring for the recipient. This is a bit of a stumbling block if the only two things you can say are “Sawadee krup/ka”, and “Sabai dee mai khrup/ka”? Of course there will come a point where you want to say a little more than just “hello” with those you see regularly.Īnd I guarantee many of the Thai people you come into contact with each day will want to say more to you too, even if just to be nosey and see what you do for work and who your girlfriend/boyfriend is. People don't have to say “hello”, but most go out of their way to do so, which is nice. I have seen this same community spirit in all the areas I have lived in Thailand. The polite nature of saying “hello” with a smile to people you see regularly creates a sense of community, and as a foreigner makes me feel part of that community. A “sa-wa-dee khrup” always provokes a smile □ĭon't get me wrong it's not a chore – I enjoy the interactions.
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