If (formal) in Thai

The formal word for “if” in Thai is หากhàak; in everyday speech it's ถ้าtâa.

หาก hàak

if (formal) conjunction

hàak low

Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

ถ้าหาก tâa-hàak

if, in case conjunction careful speech

tâa falling
hàak low

Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

How to use it

หากhàak is "if" in writing and polite, careful speech: notices, emails, customer service. Like ถ้าtâa, it opens the condition, and the result often follows with ก็gâw or จะjà: หากมีปัญหาก็โทรมาhàak mii bpan-hǎa gâw too maa, if there's a problem, give us a call.

ถ้าหากtâa-hàak puts the two together and sounds a little softer. In everyday conversation Thais just say ถ้าtâa.

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:

hak
hark
tha hak

More formal words in Thai

All formal words

การ gaan Kaan (prefix)
-ing, -tion: turns a verb into a noun (the act of …)
ความ kwaam Kwaam (prefix)
-ness (turns a verb or adjective into a noun)
ผู้ pûu Phu (prefix)
person (who …): makes words for people, like -er
นัก nák Nak (prefix)
-er, -ist: someone who does it (as a job or a passion)
ซึ่ง sûeng Who, which (formal)
which, who (adds information; formal, written)
ต่างๆ dtàang-dtàang Various
various, all kinds of (after the noun)

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones