Thai polite and formal particles
Khráp and Khâ are a final particles in Thai, which are said at the end of almost every sentence in order to be polite and formal.
- khráp (for men)
- khâ (for women)
If you want to say "mâi bpen rai" (never mind / you're welcome).
You should say "mâi bpen rai Khráp/krâ"
to show politeness
.
When should you use Khráp/Khâ?
- Thais use Khráp / Khâ when talking with someone who they respect.
- Monks
- Parents
- Relatives
- Teacher
- Thais use Khráp / Khâ when talking with someone who is higher in social class or older than them, such as
- Elder brothers / sisters
- A boss
- The minister
- etc.
- Thais use Khráp / Khâ when they want to be polite. Everyone loves politeness, so a service person always says Khráp / khâ and it is good if you do so.
*However, politeness can make people feel like it is not close and this is a reason why we shouldn't use Khráb / Khâ with friends.
*The alternate form among close friends might be ‘jâ’.
20. September 2017
