How to say beautiful in Thai
Beautiful in Thai is สวย (sǔay), a rising tone. Hear it, see the rise drawn out, and avoid the word it gets confused with.
The tone on every syllable
Thai has five tones, and each syllable carries one. Here's the shape your voice makes on each part of สวย. The dotted line is your normal speaking pitch.
Other ways to say it
| สวยมาก | sǔay mâak very beautiful |
Getting it right
- sǔay is rising: dip first, then swoop up.
- Said flat, it can sound like ซวย, a mid-tone slang word for “unlucky”. The rise is what keeps it a compliment.
When to use it
- For people, places, views and things: a beautiful beach, a beautiful dress.
- สวยมาก (sǔay mâak) is “very beautiful”.
Check your tones
Reading the tone is one thing; saying it is another. In Ravela's Pronunciation Lab you say สวย and see your pitch drawn over a native line, with notes on what to change. It's free to start, no card needed.
Practise สวย free Try the no-signup tone test
Questions people ask
What tone is สวย?
Rising: it dips and then rises.
How do you say very beautiful in Thai?
สวยมาก (sǔay mâak).
More Thai phrases
hello · thank you · sorry / excuse me · how are you? · delicious · how much? · no problem / never mind · yes / no · where's the toilet? · excuse me · I love you · good night · what's your name · I don't understand · where are you from · Khráp and khâ: the polite endings · for the bill
The audio is Ravela's reference voice. Romanisation follows Ravela's house style, with the tone marked on every syllable.
Hear it, say it, see how close you are
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