How are you in Thai: sà-baai dii mǎi and real answers
What you will be able to do
Ask how are you in Thai to the people who expect it, answer it the way Thais do, and recognise the everyday greetings that do the same job without asking how you are.
How are you in Thai is สบายดีไหม (sà-baai dii mǎi), and like any polite question it takes a particle: สบายดีไหมครับ if you are a man, สบายดีไหมคะ if you are a woman. Note the high คะ (khá) on a woman's question, not the falling ค่ะ of a statement. สบาย (sà-baai) means well, comfortable, at ease, ดี (dii) is good, and ไหม (mǎi) turns the whole thing into a yes-or-no question. You will see it spelled sabai dee mai.
How to answer: sà-baai dii
The standard answer is the question without its question word: สบายดีครับ or สบายดีค่ะ (sà-baai dii), I'm fine. To ask back, add แล้วคุณล่ะ (láew khun lâ), and you? Among friends you will hear ก็ดี (gâw dii), fine, not bad, and เรื่อยๆ (rêuay-rêuay), same as ever, getting along. If you are not well, ไม่ค่อยสบาย (mâi khâwy sà-baai) is not very well, and it is also the polite way to say you are ill.
Who you actually ask
สบายดีไหม is not a hello. Thai people ask it of someone they have not seen for a while, a boss or teacher they meet after some time, or someone who has been ill. Asked of the woman at the market you see every morning, it sounds oddly formal, as if you had not met in months. For that, use the everyday greetings below.
How are you in everyday Thai
เป็นยังไงบ้าง (bpen yang-ngai bâang), how's it going, how are things, is the relaxed version between friends and colleagues, often shortened to เป็นไงบ้าง (bpen ngai bâang). ช่วงนี้เป็นไงบ้าง (chûang níi bpen ngai bâang) is how have you been lately. After a long gap, start with ไม่ได้เจอกันนาน (mâi dâi joe gan naan), long time no see.
The greetings that replace how are you
Much of the time Thai people do not ask how you are at all. They ask กินข้าวหรือยัง (gin khâao rěu yang), have you eaten yet, or ไปไหนมา (bpai nǎi maa), where have you been, and neither wants a real answer. A short, friendly reply is enough: กินแล้ว (gin láew), I've eaten, or ไปธุระมา (bpai thú-rá maa), just out on an errand. Greetings and small talk in Thai has the full set.
Examples
| Thai | Sound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| สบายดีไหมครับ | sà-baai dii mǎi khráp | how are you? (said by a man) |
| สบายดีไหมคะ | sà-baai dii mǎi khá | how are you? (said by a woman) |
| สบายดี | sà-baai dii | I'm fine |
| แล้วคุณล่ะ | láew khun lâ | and you? |
| ก็ดี | gâw dii | fine, not bad |
| เรื่อยๆ | rêuay-rêuay | same as ever |
| ไม่ค่อยสบาย | mâi khâwy sà-baai | not very well |
| เป็นไงบ้าง | bpen ngai bâang | how's it going? |
| ไม่ได้เจอกันนาน | mâi dâi joe gan naan | long time no see |
Common mistake
The commonest mistake is using สบายดีไหม as a daily hello. It is correct Thai, but to someone you saw yesterday it sounds formal and slightly odd. Keep it for people you have not seen for a while, and use สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or the everyday greetings for everyone else. Women should also watch the particle: the question takes คะ (khá), the answer takes ค่ะ (khâ).