How to say “good luck” in Thai

Chok dee: a wish and an adjective

โชคchôok means luck or fortune and ดีdii means good. As a wish, โชคดีนะchôok-dii ná is "good luck!". As an adjective it means "lucky": คุณโชคดีมากkun chôok-dii mâak, "you're very lucky", and วันนี้โชคดีจังwan-níi chôok-dii jang, "I'm so lucky today".

A goodbye as well as a wish

Thais often part with โชคดีนะchôok-dii ná, especially when someone is going away for a while: a friend moving cities, a colleague leaving the company, a traveller heading home. It means "good luck", "take care" and "all the best" at once, and it's far warmer than the textbook goodbye ลาก่อนlaa-gàwn. Add เดินทางปลอดภัยนะdoen-taang bplàwt-pai ná ("safe travels") at the airport.

Cheering someone on: soo soo

Before an exam, a job interview, a big match or a tough day, Thai friends don't say โชคดีchôok-dii so much as สู้ๆsûu-sûu: "fight, fight!", often with a raised fist. It's the Thai "you can do it" and you'll hear it everywhere, from students to marathon crowds. When a friend is going through something hard, เป็นกำลังใจให้นะbpen gam-lang-jai hâi ná ("I'm rooting for you") is the kind thing to text.

Luck in Thai life

Luck is taken seriously in Thailand. Nine is the luckiest number, partly because เก้าgâao (nine) sounds like ก้าวgâao (to step forward), so people pay extra for phone numbers and number plates full of nines. Weddings, house moves and business openings are timed for auspicious days. The government lottery is usually drawn on the 1st and 16th of the month, and ถูกหวยtùuk hǔay ("to win the lottery") is everyone's dream. Thai-Chinese families add เฮงๆheng-heng, "lucky, lucky!", to New Year and business wishes.

Pronunciation

Chôok falls (start high, drop), with a long "oo" and a k you don't release; dii is level. Spellings like chok dee and chohk dee are the same phrase. สู้ๆsûu-sûu falls too, twice, with a long "oo".