Everyday expressionsare you OK?, is something wrong? phrase
- bpen mid
- rai mid
- mǎi rising
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
เป็นไรbpen rai is the spoken short form of เป็นอะไรbpen à-rai (what's wrong?).
You'll hear it in Pen Rai Mai? (เป็นไรไหม).
How to use it
เป็นไรไหมbpen rai mǎi is how Thais check on someone: after a fall, when a friend looks ill or upset. It's the spoken form of เป็นอะไรไหมbpen à-rai mǎi, "is anything (wrong)?", and you'll also hear เป็นอะไรหรือเปล่าbpen à-rai rǔue bplàao and, from younger people, โอเคไหมoo-kee mǎi. If you're fine, answer ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai, it's nothing. Said sharply, เป็นอะไรของเธอbpen à-rai kǎwng toe is "what's your problem?".
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- pen rai mai
- penraimai
Read more
More everyday expressions in Thai
All everyday expressions- สวัสดี sà-wàt-dii Hello in Thai
- ยินดีต้อนรับ yin-dii dtâwn-ráp Welcome in Thai
- ขอบคุณ kàwp-kun Thank you in Thai
- ขอโทษ kǎw-tôot Sorry in Thai
- ใช่ châi Yes in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones