How are you?

Hello there and welcome again to my Rian Thai podcast with me Hassan. In this episode, we are learning some expressions which we could use to ask how people are doing and how to response them.

Main expressions:

Dialog I ( In the office )

A:: สวัสดีครับ เป็น(ยัง)ไงบ้าง สบายดีไหม

Sa wad dee krab. Pen (yang) ngai bang? Sa bai dee mai?

Hello. How are you? Are you doing good?

B: สวัสดีค่ะ สบายดีคะ แล้วเป็นยังไงบ้างค่ะ

Sa wad dee ka. Sa bai dee ka. Laew pen yang ngai bang ka?

Hello, I am good, and how are you?

A: สบายดีเหมือนกันครับ

Sa bai dee muen kan krab.

I’m good as well/too.

Interesting pronouns of second person in Thai.

Laew khun la krab/ka.

แล้วคุณหละครับคะ

How about you?

In Thailand, age plays quite an important role in the language. Thai people will address each other by what they think that particular person can be in their family, for example, they will always call a 50 year-old woman, grandmother, although she is not really their grandmother or even a relative.

Laew yai la ka. Sa bai dee mai?

แล้วยายหละคะ สบายดีไหม

How about you (grandma). How are you?

Laew phi la krab/ka

แล้วพี่หละครับค่ะ

How about you?

( If you speak to someone older than you, because Phi in Thai means ,, older brother/sister )

Laew nong la krab/ka

แล้วน้องหละครับคะ

( If you speak to someone younger than you, because Nong in Thai means ,,younger brother/sister )

Glossary (Family Members):

พ่อ /poh/ Father

แม่ /mae/ Mother

พี่ /pee / Older brother or sister

น้อง /nong/ Young brother or sister

ลุง /loong/ Uncle

ป้า /pa/ Aunt

ตา /ta/ Grandfather

ยาย /yai/ Grandmother

Dialog II

A: หวัดดี เป็น(ยัง)ไงบ้าง

Wad dee. Pen (yang) ngai bang.

Hello. How are you?

(* ,,หวัดดี /Wad dee/,, is a shorter and more casual way to say Sa wad dee krab/ka.)

B: สบายดี แล้วนี่หละ สบายดีไหม

Sa bai dee.. Laew nee la? Sa bai dee mai?

Hello, I am good, and you? Are you doing good?

A: สบายดีเหมือนกัน

Sa bai dee muen kan.

I’m good as well/too.

B: โอเค งั้น ไว้เจอกัน

Ok ngan, wai jer kan.

Ok then, see you later.

When you take to your friends where the age no longer matters, you could then just say;

***แล้วนี่หละ

Laew nee la?

And you?/How about you?

(literary means ,,how about this,,? but think of when you are trying to point to the person who you are speaking to, so here it would mean ,,you,, or this person I am pointing at.

Or there are a lot more 2 person pronouns in Thai, which i can never cover in one episode. Or if you wanna play safe just use the name of the person who you are talkig to ,for example, laew patty la?

How to react to the question ,, How are you ?,,

สบายดีเหมือนกัน

Sa bai dee muen kan.

I’m good as well/too.

ไม่ค่อยดีเท่าไหร่ ครับ/ค่ะ

Mai koi dee tao rai krab/ka.

(literary means ,, not so good ,,

After having a short conversation with somebody who you ran into, now you might want to get and say goodbye. Here are some expressions that you can use.

Wai jer kan krab/ka

ไว้เจอกัน ครับค่ะ

I’ll see you later

Wai kui kan krab/ka.

ไว้คุยกัน ครับค่ะ

I’ll talk to you later