Describing things สบาย sà-baai
comfortable; well, at ease adjective
- sà low
- baai mid
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
How to use it
สบายsà-baai is comfortable, and Thai builds the verb in: a bed is นอนสบายnawn sà-baai, "comfortable to sleep in", shoes are ใส่สบายsài sà-baai, "comfortable to wear". It's the same สบายsà-baai as in สบายดีไหมsà-baai dii mǎi, how are you? Careful: ไม่สบายmâi sà-baai doesn't mean uncomfortable, it means sick. Cramped or awkward is อึดอัดùet-àt.
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:
- sabai
- sa bai
- sabay
Read more
Culture Sanuk, Sabai, Mai Pen Rai: Thai Values in 3 Phrases Fun, comfort and 'never mind': three phrases that explain the Thai approach to life, what mai pen rai really means, and when it isn't okay. - Phrase How to say “how are you?” in Thai Ask how are you in Thai (สบายดีไหม, sabai dee mai) and answer like a local, plus the greetings Thais use more often, like 'have you eaten yet?'. With audio.
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones