to wai
1
9.9
To press your palms together and bow slightly as a Thai greeting
- verb
:
saludar con wai
- The students practiced how to wai properly during the cultural workshop.
Examples
-
During the festival, people wai each other as a sign of goodwill.
-
Or when a new batsman takes forever to come in and replace one who is out in one of half a dozen different ways while the crowd turns restive and begins to boo or give the slow hand-clap at the same time as bursting into irritable song: "Why are we waiting, why are we wai-ai-ting?"
Fiction book (1994) -
When greeting my Thai friends, I always wai to show my respect.
Synonyms
to shake hands
vsto wai
292
1.0
To take someone's hand and move it up and down as a greeting or to show agreement
holds palms together in front of chest with a slight bow
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word wai is also used as a verb and comes from the Thai gesture of pressing your palms together and giving a small bow. To wai someone is to 'show respect' to them with this simple, polite greeting.