Greetings How to say “have you eaten?” in Thai
The short answer
"Have you eaten (yet)?" in Thai is กินข้าวหรือยังgin kâao rǔue yang, literally "eaten rice yet?". It's one of the most common Thai greetings: a caring "how are you?" rather than a real question. Answer กินแล้วgin láew ("I've eaten") or ยังyang ("not yet"), and if you say not yet, expect to be fed. Friends shorten it to กินข้าวยังgin kâao yang.
“Have you eaten?” in Thai
Tap a Thai word for its meaning
Men say
Women say
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Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters, so you'll see กินข้าวหรือยังgin kâao rǔue yang spelled many ways. We write it with the tone of every syllable marked; online you'll also find:
- gin khao rue yang
- kin khao rue yang
- gin kao reu yang
- kin khao reu yang
- gin khao yang
- kin khao yang
- gin khao laew
- tan khao rue yang
Other ways to say “have you eaten?”
- กิน ginข้าว kâaoยัง yang
eaten yet? (casual)
The everyday short form, especially in messages.
- ทาน taanข้าว kâaoหรือ rǔueยัง yangครับ kráp Menทาน taanข้าว kâaoหรือ rǔueยัง yangคะ ká Women
have you eaten yet? (polite)
ทานtaan is the polite 'eat': use it with elders, bosses and customers.
- กิน ginอะไร à-raiหรือ rǔueยัง yangครับ kráp Menกิน ginอะไร à-raiหรือ rǔueยัง yangคะ ká Women
have you eaten anything yet?
- หิว hǐuไหม mǎi
are you hungry?
- กิน ginข้าว kâaoด้วย dûayกัน ganไหม mǎi
want to eat together?
Often comes straight after your 'not yet'.
- กิน ginข้าว kâaoกับ gàpอะไร à-rai
what did you have?
The natural follow-up; Thai dishes are eaten 'with' rice.
- อิ่ม ìmหรือ rǔueยัง yang
are you full yet?
What hosts ask while refilling your plate.
How to reply
- กิน ginแล้ว láewครับ kráp Menกิน ginแล้ว láewค่ะ kâ Women
I've eaten
- ยัง yang
not yet
Expect an invitation, or a plate.
- กิน ginแล้ว láewคุณ kunล่ะ lâครับ kráp Menกิน ginแล้ว láewคุณ kunล่ะ lâคะ ká Women
I have, and you?
- ยัง yangเลย loeiหิว hǐuมาก mâak
not yet, I'm starving
Honest, and very natural.
Example sentences
- กิน ginข้าวเที่ยง kâao-tîangหรือ rǔueยัง yangครับ kráp Menกิน ginข้าวเที่ยง kâao-tîangหรือ rǔueยัง yangคะ ká Women
Have you had lunch yet?
- กิน ginข้าวเย็น kâao-yenด้วย dûayกัน ganไหม mǎi
Shall we have dinner together?
- กิน ginอะไร à-raiดี dii
What shall we eat?
- ยัง yangไม่ mâiได้ dâiกิน ginอะไร à-raiเลย loei
I haven't eaten anything yet.
Why Thais ask
Food is how Thais show care, so asking whether you've eaten is really asking whether you're all right. Parents ask it on the phone, grandparents ask it before hello, colleagues ask it at noon, and partners send it on LINE at lunchtime. It works like "how are you?": nobody expects a detailed report, just a friendly answer. Literally it's "have you eaten rice yet?", because for Thais a meal without rice hardly counts.
How to answer
Answer with กินแล้วgin láew ("I've eaten") or ยังyang ("not yet"), and add your particle with anyone older. Ask back with แล้วคุณล่ะláew kun lâ, "and you?". Be careful with ยังyang: Thai hospitality means it often leads to กินข้าวด้วยกันไหมgin kâao dûay gan mǎi ("eat with us?") or a plate appearing in front of you. Next comes กินกับอะไรgin gàp à-rai, "what did you have?", because Thais love talking about food at least as much as eating it.
Gin or taan?
กินgin is the everyday word for eat. ทานtaan is its polite partner: shop staff use it with customers, and using it with your partner's parents, your landlord or your boss sounds well brought up. On formal menus and signs you'll also see the very formal รับประทานráp-bprà-taan.
The pattern: yet?
หรือยังrǔue yang at the end of a sentence means "…yet?", and you can use it with any verb: ถึงหรือยังtǔeng rǔue yang (have you arrived yet?), เสร็จหรือยังsèt rǔue yang (finished yet?), ตื่นหรือยังdtùuen rǔue yang (are you up yet?). The answers are always the same two: verb + แล้วláew (already) or ยังyang (not yet).
Pronunciation
Gin is level, with a soft unaspirated g. Kâao falls and is long: with a short vowel, เข้าkâo means "to enter", so let it stretch. Rǔue rises, though in fast speech it often comes out as a quick, high "rúe". Yang is level. Spellings like gin khao rue yang and kin khao reu yang are all this phrase.
Have you eaten? in Thai: questions people ask
What does gin khao rue yang mean?
กินข้าวหรือยังgin kâao rǔue yang means 'have you eaten yet?', literally 'eaten rice yet?'. It's used as a warm greeting, like 'how are you?'.
How do you answer have you eaten in Thai?
กินแล้วgin láew ('I've eaten') or ยังyang ('not yet'), with ครับkráp or ค่ะkâ if you're being polite. Then ask back: แล้วคุณล่ะláew kun lâ.
Why do Thai people ask if you've eaten?
Because food is how Thais show care. Asking whether you've eaten is a way of asking whether you're okay, and of offering to feed you if you're not.
How do you ask have you eaten politely in Thai?
Use the polite verb ทานtaan: ทานข้าวหรือยังtaan kâao rǔue yang, with ครับkráp (men) or คะká (women). It's right for elders and anyone senior.
How do you say let's eat in Thai?
กินข้าวกันgin kâao gan or ไปกินข้าวกันbpai gin kâao gan, 'let's go and eat'.
Related phrases
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- Phrase How to say “let's go” in Thai How to say let's go in Thai: ไปกัน (pai kan), ไปกันเถอะ, ไปเลย and the casual ways Thai friends get moving, plus let's eat and let's go out. With audio.
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Hear it in songs and culture
Learn this in Unit 15, free
Unit 15 · Have you eaten yet? · Already, not yet, just: แล้ว, ยัง, เพิ่ง. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.
Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones