What is the russian word for hello

What is the Russian word for ‘hello’?

Everybody knows that ‘hello’ in Russian is ‘privet’. But did you know that this word is not suitable for all contexts? There is a wide variety of expressions, ranging from formal to informal, that can be used depending on the specific occasion. Want to learn them? Read on for the ultimate list of Russian greetings and the best way to learn Russian. In this
article, you will discover the answer to the popular question “how do you say hello in Russian?”. You will find out:

• how popular learning Russian is around the world
• different ways of greeting someone in Russian
• where and how to learn Russian online

Numbers & Statistics: The growing importance of Russian around the world

Did you know that Russian is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages? Some 153 million native speakers and an estimated 258 million total speakers make Russian the 8th most widely used language. As one of the five major languages of the United Nations, learning Russian can open many doors.

Russia accounts for over $1bn and 3.1% of global GDP and is the
11th largest economy in the world, reported to grow between 1.6 and 1.8 percent in 2020–2021. Its influence on the global economy and political map cannot be disputed. Russian has been described as an extremely politically, culturally, and economically relevant language, not just in Mother Russia but
also in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

It may surprise you to learn that Russian is also the second largest language on the internet. With over 103 million users online it accounts for 6.5% of written Internet content.

While in EU Member States more than 65% of students
enrolled in upper secondary education were learning English as a foreign language, Russian was the most commonly non-EU language learned in 2018, especially in Latvia (48%), Estonia (44%), Bulgaria and Lithuania (both around 26%).

Well-known people

There are quite a few famous people around the world who
have chosen to learn Russian for various purposes. Some notable names include:

• Kate Beckinsale: The actress studied Russian literature at Oxford University because she wanted to read the works of writers like Chekhov in their original language.
• Ralph Fiennes: The actor had to learn Russian for his role in the movie “Two Women”.
• Jared Leto: The actor learned Russian for his
  role in the movie “The Lord of War”.

Without further ado, let’s find out what is Russian for hello and get into the basics of greetings in Russian depending on the specific context and situation you find yourself in! A big Russian hello!

How to translate hello to Russian depending on the context?

Word choice matters a lot when greeting someone in Russian. If you’re looking for a ‘hello in Russian translation’, you will come up with different
results and likely find yourself confused.

Don’t just try typing ‘hello translate to Russian’ into a search engine… it won’t clarify things! This is because Russian has two main registers, i.e. formal and informal. Unlike we do in English, Russians use different words depending on the situation they find themselves in. That’s why it is important to know what phrase to use when greeting someone.

While ‘привет’ is appropriate for
friends and other people of your age, ‘здравствуйте’ is best to show respect to your elders and others you are not acquainted with. Read on to find out how to properly translate hello into Russian.

5 different language contexts

In this article, we are considering 5 main language contexts that one needs to take into account when looking for a hello Russian translation:

• Neutral: Neutral language that can be
  used in most situations and does not favor anyone. If you stop someone at the street to ask for directions and they look roughly your age, you would use neutral language to be polite.
• Colloquial: Language used in informal conversation between friends and family. If you are at school, talking to a group of friends and acquaintances, you would be using colloquial language.
• Slang (extremely colloquial): Slang is a very
  informal language, best reserved for people one knows very well. One could use slang when texting their best friend, for example.
• Formal: Formal language is impersonal and is used for professional purposes or for talking to elders. When interviewing for a new job position, you would have to use formal language.
• Extremely formal: Extremely formal language would be reserved for serious situations involving people we don’t
  know well (e.g. resume writing, academia). A doctor in a medical conference is likely to be using extremely formal language to do a presentation.

Neutral Russian Greetings

1. Здрáвствуй! / Здрáвствуйте!

• Здрáвствуй! [zdr’astvuy] (singular)
• Здрáвствуйте! [zdr’astvuytye] (plural or when addressing a senior person politely)

While the literal meaning of this expression is “be healthy” in the
imperative mood, Russians commonly use it as a way to say “Hello”. It is suitable for most everyday situations and is considered to be Russian for “hello”. If you would like to greet your local grocery store owner, for example, “Здрáвствуйте!” is a perfect choice of a phrase. This is typically how to greet someone in Russian.

You can listen to how Russians pronounce this and many other greetings in this fascinating video:

2. Дóброе ýтро! [d'obroye 'utro]

This phrase means “Good morning” and can be used in the same way as it would be in English. However, keep in mind that, while in English it is not unusual to
reduce “Good morning” to just “Morning”, Russians never do this (however, they sometimes reduce this phrase to “Дóброе” instead). If you come across someone you would like to greet in the daytime, you can’t go wrong saying “Дóброе ýтро”.

3. Дóбрый дéнь! [d'obryy d'en]

An expression that translates to “Good day”, “Дóбрый дéнь” is used to greet people in the afternoon, when it is too late to say “Good
morning”, i.e. after 12 o’clock at noon.

4. Дóбрый вéчер! [d'obryy v'yetʃyer]

This phrase means “Good evening” and you can use it as you would in English – after 6 pm or so. It is not uncommon to find the expression “Дóброй нóчи!” (translating to “Good night”) as a greeting on Russian language blogs, but this is not correct. Use “Дóбрый вéчер” to greet Russians in the evening and “Дóброй нóчи” only to wish somebody a good
night or say goodbye in the evening.

Colloquial Greetings in Russian

5. Дóброго врéмени сýток! [d'obrovo vr'yemyeni s'utok]

This expression literally means “Have a good time of the day”. Even though it’s a phrase that sounds somewhat awkward in English, in Russian it is actually employed often.

An example would be when writing a letter or e-mail to somebody. Since you never know when the person you are addressing is going to read your letter (in the morning or the evening), using
“Дóброго врéмени сýток” helps you stay accurate and on point, and it is a common Russian greeting.

6. Привéт! [priv'yet]

This popular greeting means, of course, “hello”. It is a familiar and informal word to be used in casual settings, with friends or family. If you search for ‘hello Russian’, this is the answer you will get! It is the most common Russian word for “hello”.

7. Здорóво! [zdor'ovo]

Not to be confused with the words “здóрово”
([zd’orovo], “great!”) and “здорóвье” ([zdor’ovye], “health”), this colloquial expression is used to say “Hey” in Russian. It is most often used by men and only between very good friends saying hello in Russian, as it sounds rather rough to the native ear.

8. Салю́т! [sal'yut]

A word derived from the French greeting “Salut”, it is an informal way to greet someone. When meeting people you know very well in a
casual setting, for example, “Салю́т” is perfectly appropriate.

9. Салáм алéйкум! [sal'am al'eykum]

This is a greeting borrowed from Arabic which means “Peace be upon you” that is normally used as a religious salutation among Muslims. However, it is not unusual to hear it in informal settings, between friends, in Russia.

Saying “Hello” in Russian slang (extremely colloquial greetings)

10. Привéтик! [priv'yetik]

An extremely
informal greeting that would almost be better described as slang, “Приветик” is a playful and even childish way to say “Hello”. A rough English equivalent is “Heya”. You would not use this humorous phrase with people you do not know very well. It is best saved for greeting children or your best pals.

11. Хеллó! [hell'o] and

12. Хáй! [h'ay]

Don’t be surprised if you hear Russian youth greet each other with the English words “Hello” or
“Hi” (spelled using the Cyrillic alphabet when written online). Young Russians are becoming increasingly familiar and comfortable with Anglo-Saxon culture through watching popular movies, series and browsing the Internet.

13. Здрáсьте! [zdr'aste]

This word means “Hello”. It is the short form of “здраствуйте” and, as an abbreviation, it can sometimes be considered lazy, impolite or even rude. Reserve it for the people
closest to you, who will not be offended.

14. Дрáтути! [dr'atuti]

Another way to say “hello” in Russian slang to be reserved for greeting your best friends, this word is a distorted form of the word “здравствуйте”. While it means “Hello”, it is not considered a particularly polite form of saying it. This is how to say “hello” in Russian informally.

Saying “hello” in Russian: formal greetings

15. Привéтствую! / Привéтствую вас! / Привéтствую Вас!

• Привéтствую!
  [priv’yetstvuyu] (suitable for all addressees)
• Привéтствую вас! [priv’yetstvuyu vas] (when addressing more than one person)
• Привéтствую Вас! [priv’yetstvuyu vas] (when addressing one or more people in a polite way)

This expression literally means “I am greeting you”. Just like its English equivalent “greetings”, it is considered a rather
formal word. If you were addressing an audience at a conference, this would be a good phrase to use.

16. Разрешúте вас привéтствовать! / Разрешúте Вас привéтствовать!

• Разрешúте вас привéтствовать! [razryeʃ’itye vas priv’yetstvovat] (when addressing more than one person)
• Разрешúте Вас привéтствовать! [razryeʃ’itye vas priv’yetstvovat] (when addressing one or more people in a polite way)

Even more formal than
“Привéтствую”, this expression translates to “Allow me to greet you”. It is only appropriate in formal occasions and settings, and you could use it, for example, as a politician welcoming foreign delegates into your country.

17. Рáд/рáда/рáды вас привéтствовать! / Рáд/рáда/рáды Вас привéтствовать!

• Рáд/рáда/рáды вас привéтствовать! [r’ad/r’ada/r’ady v’as priv’yetstvovat] (when addressing more than one person)
• Рáд/рáда/рáды Вас привéтствовать! [r’ad/r’ada/r’ady vas
  priv’yetstvovat] (when addressing one or more people in a polite way)

In the same vein as the previous two phrases, this expression literally translates to “I am/we are glad to greet you” and is appropriately used as “hello” in Russian formal-style.

How to say an extremely formal “hello” in Russian?

18. Физкýльт-привéт! [fisk'ult priv'yet]

A rather unique expression that is difficult to translate into English,
“Физкýльт-привéт” could be described as a sort of sporty cheer. It is used during sports competitions or in a humorous way. An announcement-maker welcoming a football team to a stadium could use this expression to greet the athletes.

19. Здрáвия желáю! / Здрáвия желáем!

• Здрáвия желáю! [zdr’aviya zhel’ayu] (used as a singular form if you are speaking alone when greeting someone)
• Здрáвия желáем! [zdr’aviya zhel’ayem] (used as a plural form if
  you and somebody else are greeting someone)

This extremely formal phrase literally means “I/we wish you good health”. It actually means “Hello, sir!” and is usually used in military service, for example, to render a salute to an officer. Alternatively, Russians sometimes use it jokingly in a casual setting.

At the end of the article you will find a colorful infographic enlisting all the ways to say “hello”
in Russian described above. Don’t forget to save it!

Common phrases around the Russian hello

Hello how are you in Russian: Привет! Как дела?

This phrase that could be translated as “Hi! How are things?” is common between friends. If you bump into a friend you haven’t seen in a while on the street, you could greet them this way.

Hello comrade in Russian: Привет, товарищ!

You could use this phrase
instead of “Hello friend” or “Hello my brother” to greet a dear friend, but it has Soviet roots and used to be more common back in the day.

Hello my name is in Russian: Привет! Меня зовут … .

When you find yourself in a situation meeting someone for the first time, you will have to introduce yourself. This is the phrase you would use to do so.

Hello beautiful in Russian: Привет, красотка! / Привет,
красавчик!

This greeting would be appropriate in a situation where you are trying to flirt with an attractive girl or boy and want to cheekily say hello.

Hello and goodbye in Russian: Здравствуйте! До свидания! / Привет! Пока!

If you are in a situation where you are not particularly close with a person, they are senior, or you are speaking to someone in a professional setting, it would be appropriate to greet them with
“здравствуйте” and parting with “до свидания”.

Hello nice to meet you in Russian: Здравствуйте! Приятно познакомиться!

When you are meeting someone for the first time in a formal setting or they are senior, for instance, your grandmother’s friend, you could use this phrase to politely greet people.

Hello everyone in Russian: Всем привет!

This greeting is appropriate when you first arrive into a large
group where you don’t know everyone’s name or, for example, if you are greeting multiple people in an event hosted at your home.

Online Russian lessons

There are 3 key advantages to learning Russian online and, in particular, on Eurekly:

• Russia is
  a huge country with 11 standard time zones. These are the following: Russia Time Zone 1 (UTC + 2), Russia Time Zone 2 (UTC + 3), Russia Time Zone 3 (UTC + 4), Russia Time Zone 4 (UTC + 5), Russia Time Zone 5 (UTC + 6), Russia Time Zone 6 (UTC + 7), Russia Time Zone 7 (UTC + 8), Russia Time Zone 8 (UTC + 9), Russia Time Zone 9 (UTC + 10), Russia Time
  Zone 10 (UTC + 11), Russia Time Zone 11 (UTC + 12). Naturally, this can make scheduling online lessons rather complicated. However, Eurekly offers a special feature that facilitates lesson scheduling in many different time zones, which is particularly handy!
• Online Russian lessons offer on-the-go mobile solutions, enabling you to complete coursework from
  anywhere, as your individual schedule permits, without having to travel to your lessons. You can tailor-fit your learning around your day whenever it’s convenient.
• Compared with traditional face-to-face lessons, Eurekly’s online Russian classes
  offer a much cheaper alternative!

Many
of Eurekly’s highly qualified tutors are native Russian speakers and all have a perfect command of English, making them the ideal choice for your education. Here are four of the many Russian teachers available on Eurekly today to get you started:

• Andrei is a native Russian linguist and writer who teaches both Russian and English. He
  taught at West Virginia University for two years and has students in the USA, UK, Australia, France, New Zealand, and Denmark. He takes great pride in customizing lesson plans to every student’s needs and always uses the most up-to-date teaching aids.
• Olga holds a Ph.D. in Russian Language and is hugely qualified and highly experienced having
  taught over 300 people 5000 lessons. With 10 years of her teaching experience (7 years online), you will be in very safe hands. She is a native of St.Petersburg and loves to help people attain a real Russian accent!
• Tatiana loves working with all ages and backgrounds. She holds a Master’s degree in teaching Russian and offers a
  personalized program for all her students depending on their goals. She teaches for the TRKI/TORFL Russian language exams you will need to take if you want to study or work in Russia. She makes a real focus on pronunciation and promises that you will not stay at entry-level for long!
• Alexander is a true international Russian native
  having studied and worked in London, Turkey the UAE, and the Maldives. He is a certified Russian tutor with an academic background in Russian Literature and History and loves including Russian culture in his lessons. He promises that everyone can speak Russian with his help!

Eurekly’s leading Russian tutors have prepared this amazing infographic to
facilitate your Russian studies. Save it and make sure you use the right expressions in all the suitable contexts!

1. How do Russians greet each other?

Russians greet each other by saying hello, the word for which can vary depending on the circumstances.

2. What does hello mean in Russian?

Hello, i.e. приве́т, is the most common way to informally greet others in Russian.

3.
How to pronounce hello in Russian?

To pronounce здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte), say zdrah-stvooy-tee and remember to roll your R’s.

4. How to spell hello in Russian?

The correct spelling of hello in Russian is здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte) or привет (privyet).

5. How to write hello in Russian?

You can write здравствуйте or привет.

6.
How do you say hello in Russian phonetically?

Phonetically, приве́т is [pree-vyét], while здравствуйте sounds like [zdrah-stvooy-tee].

What is a common Russian greeting?

Hello in Russian – Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte)
It’s a universal greeting formula and it can be used safely every time regardless of the person you are addressing. The root of the word goes back to the expression or phrase “to be healthy and well” so this is also a wish of good health.

How do you address a Russian person?

How do you greet a Russian girl?

There’s a well-known Russian greeting tradition: the triple cheek-kiss. It’s usually common between close relatives. Sometimes, it’s shortened to two kisses. One cheek kiss is often used by girls to greet friends, or even close female coworkers.

How do Russians greet themselves?

RUSSIAN GREETINGS
Russian usually shake hands when greeting one another. The famous bear hugs and kisses are usually reserved for good friends and family members after a long time without seeing one another. Russian men usually shake hands with a firm grip. When men and women shakes hands men adopt a gentle grip.

And Other Basic Russian Greetings

One of the first things every English speaker learns in Russian is cultural differences. The crucial source of confusion for native English speakers is how to address people in different formal and informal situations. Often, language learners struggle with saying “Hello” and other basic greetings in Russian.

Why does this happen?

All in all, cultures differ in the way speakers treat people with perceived power. Russian culture belongs to the group of cultures that view the “power” as a factor that creates a distance between individuals at different power levels. 

Psst! Did you know we have a language learning app?

You’re only one click away!

Difficulties of Using Russian Greetings

There are many factors that can provide you the “power”- money, knowledge, higher position at a workspace, social status, age, and gender. When you speak to a Russian native possessing one or more of these power attributing characteristics, you view him or her as an author or somebody with higher “power”. 

This is a problem that English speakers face in the Russian language. Because of this cultural diversity, it is often not possible to directly translate a Russian greeting (Здарово, Здрасте, Приветик) into English. 

And this is the issue many professional translators have to deal with. Hanna Sles, a professional Russian translator, says: “The lack of equivalences in vocabulary typically causes problems. Translations cannot be made on a word-for-word basis because words in Russian may not exist in English. Cultures also do not share the same experience. “

When greeting someone in Russian, it’s important to use the right level of formality for each situation. In this post, you will find short guidelines on how to choose greetings expressions in Russian. With that knowledge you will be able easily to navigate these confusing greeting expressions in the Russian-speaking environment.

10 Ways to Say Hello in Russian

1. An Informal “Hello” in Russian – Привет (Privyet)

The easiest way to say hello in Russian is Привет (privyet). Officially it is considered an informal way of saying hello. Before you start using this greeting, make sure you are on pretty familiar terms with a person. 

You can say it to friends, family, and even casual acquaintances. As a rule, when you use this form of greetings, you can address people with the informal you (ты).

2. An Informal “Hello” in Russian – Здрасте (Zdraste)

“Zdraste”is a shortened version of the greetings “Zdravstvujte”. Though the meaning is very close to the formal greeting “Zdravstvujte”- “be healthy”, it is widely used in informal situations. 

It is directed to people you know very well such as close friends, family, long-time work colleagues or friends you have known for a very long time.

3. A More Affectionate “Hi” in Russian – Приветик (privyetik)

Russian language is known to have a wide variety of diminutive forms. These forms are usually created with infixes and suffixes like -ик, -ок, -ёк (-ik, -ok, -yok, masculine gender) etc. In this case “privyet” is citified with the help of the suffix –ик (-ik).

This affectionate “privytik” with the diminutive suffix is used in the situations when you greet kids, close relatives, or beloved ones. The suffix “-ik”adds to “Privyet”a tint of loving and caring feeling.

4. A Russified “Hello” – Хай (Khaj)

“Khaj” is simply a transliteration of Hi. It’s more informal and joyous than “Privyet”. Teenagers and close friends widely use this greeting between each other. Young people of the tender age like to use English words in their speech in order to be different from other Russian speakers.

But you intend to speak Russian, it’s better to use Russian regular expressions.

5. Informal hello – Здoрово (ZdorOvo)

It is a popular slang greetings among young people. This is a cheery slang form for saying “Privyet” among boys and men. When you pronounce this greeting, make sure you make a stress on the second syllable {o}. Otherwise, if you place the stress on the first syllable, the word will change the meaning to “great” or “excellent”. 

6. Informal way to say hello in Russian Салют (Salyoot)

“Salyoot” comes from French. It is another transliteration way to say hello in Russian.  You use it in the similar situations related to “Privyet” (with your friends, family, or colleagues).

---

All Russian greetings sound difficult and confusing? Don’t get upset or frustrated with the translation of words from English into Russian. There is a big community on Best Russian Translator Facebook page where professional translators provide free support to everyone. If you have any questions, you simply post a question and Russian translators will give you expert answers.

---

7. Formal way hello – Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte)

This is the safest, most neutral, and more formal way to say hello in Russian. You can use it in conversations with a person you are less familiar with. You can safely use it on meeting a person the first time, going to business meetings, etc.

There are also situations when Zdravstvuyte can be used addressing to people that you know very well. That means that you are greeting a group of friends, a group of people you are very familiar with.

8. Military way – Здравия желаю (Zdraviya zhelaju)

This is a military way to greet. It’s a known fact, that military personnel must salute superiors in rank. In Russian military traditions, salutes are performed using hand gestures and greeting with “Zdraviya zhelaju”. In this way, soldiers demonstrate respect.

9. Мое почтение (Moyo pochtenie)

This is an archaic form to say hello in Russian among high society members. Sometimes it is used nowadays to bring some connotation to your speech, more respect. Or it can be used to create an atmosphere of old times.

10. Приветствую Вас (Privetstvuju Vas)

This is another official way to greet people in Russian. You can use it in official ceremonies and meetings. 

Other Common Russian Greetings

Here is a shortlist of other basic Russian greetings that will help you communicate in Russian:

#	English	Russian	Transliteration in Russian
1	Good morning!	Доброе утро!	Dobroe utro!
2	Good afternoon!	Добрый день!	Dobryj den’!
3	Good evening!	Добрый вечер!	Dobryj vecher!
4	Good night!	Спокойной ночи!	Spokojnoj nochi!
5	Glad to see you!	Раз тебя видеть!	Raz tebja videt’!
6	How are you?	Как дела?	Kak dela?
7	Good bye!	Пока!	Poka!
8	Thank you	Спасибо!	Spasibo!

The Best App to Learn “Hello” in Russian

There are a number of different ways to learn Russian. The best option is to use a combination of these ideas and resources. You need to enjoy your lessons, but they also have to bring you closer to your goal.

If you’re learning Russian on a budget, your best option is to download a reliable app that can guide your overall journey. One that’s based on scientifically-proven methods. And that’s OptiLingo.

You can trust OptiLingo to get you to fluency fast. By presenting you with high-frequency words, you can learn how the locals speak. OptiLingo’s learning resources teach you about Russian culture and society, while you master the language.

Most importantly, OptiLingo gets you speaking the language, not typing. We know that practicing your pronunciation is the only way to complete fluency. Try OptiLingo today to discover why it’s the best way to learn Russian!

Made some Russian friends or planning to visit the Motherland? Learning Russian greetings and a couple of basic Russian phrases will definitely help you interact with Russian speakers more easily.

Heads up, the words in the brackets aren’t stroke-induced distress signals. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Cyrillic, we’ve added the pronunciation and capitalized the letters that you should accent. At the end of the article, we’ve added a table as a map for the declension of personal pronouns, should you like to understand why, for example, “you” in certain greetings appears in different forms.

Давай зайдем (let’s get into it, davAi zaidyIOm) then!

Russian greetings: the hellos

1. “Hello” in Russian – Здравствуйте or Здравствуй (zdrAvstvuyte-zdrAvstvuy)

Здравствуйте is the formal hello in Russian if you want to greet a stranger or someone that you should address with respect, like a teacher or an elder.

Здравствуй is dangling between “Здравствуйте” and Привет, meaning, it’s a bit formal but also leaning towards casual. You can use it when greeting peers or colleagues that you don’t know really well.

Actually, the Russian word for “health” is “здоровье” (zdorOv’ye), so this Russian greeting can be translated into “I wish you good health”. You could trace its origin to the plague epidemics (with cases still popping up from time to time), the agrarian economy, and the unforgiving weather that paints the history of Russia’s landscape, underlining how disease constituted the worst threat to the livelihood of Russians.

2. “Hi” in Russian – Привет (privyEt)

Привет is the king of all Russian greetings! This is the classic informal Russian “hello” between friends and family. It is perhaps the most common way to say hi in Russian to people that you are comfortable with and know well.

If you want to sound a little more elegant, you could use the verb πриветствую (privEtsvuyiu), literally meaning “I greet you”.

Russian greetings for each hour of the day

3. “Good morning” in Russian – Доброе утро (dObroye Utro)

Доброе утро is the typical way to say good morning in Russian, either in a formal or informal setting. It should be used until 12pm. С добрым утром (s dObrim Utram) is an alternate option, often used, but not limited to, when addressing larger crowds.

If you are feeling particularly affectionate, you can also use С утречком (s Utrechkom), with утречко being the diminutive of утро (morning), meaning “little morning”. In case you are facing a mental blackout, you could also keep this Russian greeting in mind if you want to remember more easily how to conjugate the simplest form of male nouns and adjectives in the instrumental case.

4. “Good afternoon” in Russian – Добрый день (dObryy dEn’)

As in English, “good afternoon” or Добрый день in Russian settles between 12pm and 6pm, or generally when there is still daylight. (Actually, the word “день” means “day”).

Grammar tip: through the ending of the adjective, which is masculine (“Добрый“,) you can remember that “day” in Russian is a masculine noun, considering that it’s often tricky to specify the gender of the words ending with the soft sign “ь”. This way, when you want to use different cases, you can choose the correct ending.

For example, it would be easy to keep in mind that you use the masculine form for nouns ending in “ь” when you want to say “in the middle of the day” (=”в середине дня“, v sereDIne dnyA – genitive case) or “enjoy the day” (=”наслаждайся днём“, naslazhdAysya dniOm – instrumental case).

5. “Good evening” in Russian – Добрый вечер (dObriy vYEcher)

Добрый вечер or “good evening” in Russian can be used after 6pm or after sunset. For instance, it is quite often used in winter after 4pm when the sun sets in northern cities like Saint Petersburg.

6. “Good night” in Russian – Cпокойной ночи (spokOynoy nOchi)

Cпокойной ночи would be directly translated as “have a good night”.

Again you might be scratching your head, thinking: eeny, meeny, miny, moe, what’s this case, I don’t know.

A verb that often implicitly accompanies many salutations is “желать” (zelAt), meaning “to wish/hope”. This verb, turns out, most of the time goes hand in hand with the genitive case. Having cracked the code, you have learned that “cпокойной ночи” is the genitive form of “спокойная ночь”. Hooray!

Russian greetings for introductions and pleasantries

7. “Thank you” in Russian – Спасибо (spaSIba)

OK, even if you aren’t learning Russian, “cпасибо” is definitely in your sphere of consciousness of Russian greetings. Спасибо is suitable for both verbal formal and informal occasions. The Russian equivalent phrase of “thank you very much” would be спасибо большое (spasIba bol’shOye). Should you want to stress your gratefulness, you can sprinkle it with a cпасибо огромное (= “huge thank you”, spasIba ogrOmnoye).

If you want to be more formal, especially in writing, using an expression like “я благодарю вас” (ya blagodarIU vash), again meaning thank you or “я ценю вашу помощь” (ya tsenYU vAshu pOmosh’), translated as “I appreciate your help”, is a little more cordial than a plain spasiba.

Fun fact about “cпасибо”, it is actually derived from the phrase “спаси́ бог” (spasI bog), or “God save you” in English. As a Greek Orthodox Christian, falling within the family of fellow Eastern Orthodox Russians, I can attest to the prominence of religion in every-day life, justifying how expressing gratitude has been interlocked with a benediction.

8. “You’re welcome” in Russian – Πожалуйста (pozhAluysta)

Пожалуйста is definitely a handy expression, meaning not only “you’re welcome” but also “please”. So, you might be asking for a cup of tea at the coffee shop by saying чашку чая, пожалуйста. Or you might be offering your seat in the metro and responding to the thankful passenger with a formal “пожалуйста”.

Other common Russian phrases to say you’re welcome would include “не за что” and “пустяки”, equivalents to “don’t mention it”, which is suitable for most social settings.

9. “My name is…” in Russian – Меня зовут… (menYA zavUt)

Меня зовут… is how you should set about when you introduce yourself or when asked как тебя зовут? (=what’s your name, kak tebyIA zavUt). The literal meaning of the phrase is “they call me..”, with the verb “звaть” conjugated in the third plural person “they”.

Alternatively, you could simply say “Я – (insert name)”, meaning “I’m (insert name). Interesting grammar insight on this point: the verb “to be” does not exist in the present tense in Russian. So, to present your name, you just use the personal pronoun “I”. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Is this one of the roots of the existential crisis rampant in Russian literature? Might as well be.

10. “How are you?” – Kак дела? (Kak delA)

You have two paths here, depending on the level of formality you strive for. Как у вас дела (kak u vash dEla) is formal since it uses the genitive form of the second-person plural “вы”. In turn, как у тебя дела (kak u tebyA dEla) is used for informal occasions, since you opt for the genitive form of the second-person singular “ты”. In the more relaxed, informal setting, you can skip pronouns altogether and simply use как дела?

If you are asked how you are, you can respond by saying “хорошо” (=well, harashO), “плохо” (=not well, plOha), “отлично” (=great, atLIchna) or “как обычно” (=as usual, kak aBIchna).

11. “Have a good day!” – Tебе/Bам хорошего дня! (tebe/vam harOsheva dnYA)

We meet again the invisible influence of the verb “желать” in Russian greetings, with “хороший день” taking its genitive form. As with the examples mentioned before, you can use Bам хорошего дня on formal occasions or when you are facing a crowd of people. Otherwise, you can go for Tебе хорошего дня, when you are with a friend, peer, relative, or a close acquaintance.

12. “Bye” in Russian – До свидания (Do SvidAniyia)

До свидания is the safest Russian farewell, suitable for most settings. While it certainly is your go-to for formal occasions, it might be a little too heavy if you use it for very close friends, considering it has the poetic luster of the meaning “until we meet again”

In that case, parting phrases commonly used between friends, family and close acquaintances would be пока (pokA) or давай (davAi).

You can also use phrases like “до встречи” (do vtrEchi), meaning “until the meeting”, or, if you want to refer to a specific day, you can use the preposition “до” (do) followed by the name of the day in its genitive form, e.g. “до понедельника” (until Monday, do panedElnika).

Russian greetings for special occasions and holidays

13. “Happy birthday” in Russian – C днём рождения (S dnyIOm RazdEniya)

This is pretty straightforward with the good old instrumental case bringing to us с днём рождения.

Now, if you aren’t up-to-date with Russian traditions on birthdays, let’s mention a couple of quirky customs. First, generally, avoid wishing happy birthday or buying gifts to the именинник (=birthday boy, imeNInik) or именинница (=birthday girl, imeNInika) too early. Bad luck you see. For the same reason, it’s good to also avoid gifting yellow flowers or even-numbered bouquets before the actual birthday. And, beware: if it’s you’re birthday you might be blessed with a little ear-pulling.

14. “Happy Easter” in Russian – C Пасхой/Христос Воскрес! (s PAsphai/hristOS voskREs)

We will be taking a deep dive into Eastern Orthodox Easter for this one, so hung in there. Easter is a big thing for us Orthodox Christians. Dare I say even more important than Christmas. Maybe it’s that kind of only-pain-and-suffering-will-grant-eternal-salvation feeling that is deeply embedded in our national identities. Who knows…

Anyways, two good old Russian greetings for Easter are C Пасхой! (S PAshai) or Счастливой Пасхи! (SchastLIvai PAshi) to wish somebody a happy Easter. However, the most common Easter Russian greeting you will come across would be Христос воскрес (HristOS VoskREs), meaning “Christ has risen”. It is always echoed throughout the church after midnight of Holy Saturday, when we commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus. In response, it is customary to say Bоистину воскрес (VAIstinu VaskrEs), meaning “truly He has risen”.

Actually, the word “воскрес (= risen/resurrected) is associated with the word “Воскресенье”, which is “Sunday” in Russian. You know, devoting the day to God and all. Another religious insight: we use the word “Пасхa” (Pasha) for “Easter” from the Hebraic “Pesach”, which means “Passover”, either referring to God “passing over” the Israelites when the ten plagues ravaged Egypt or, in Orthodox Christianity, the passage from death to life through Christ’s Resurrection.

Still with me? Great! Let’s move on to the fun bits of Russian Easter: “кулич” (kuLIch) and “пасхалные яйца” (pasHAlnie yiaiCHA)! “Kулич” refers to the traditional sweet Russian Easter cake, containing dried fruit and sprinkled with icing deliciousness, completely irresistible if you are on the Easter lent called “Великий Пост”. “Πасхалные яйца” are our beloved Easter eggs. For Orthodox Christians, Easter eggs involve the custom of boiling eggs, painting them red, and embarking on “egg wars”. After colliding each other’s decorated masterpieces, the person with the most resilient egg is proclaimed the winner.

15. “Merry Christmas” in Russian – C Pождеством (s rOzdestvam)

Things are simple with Russian Christmas greetings. C рождеством is pretty much all you need to wish someone a happy Christmas in Russian-speaking countries. This wish is related, for obvious reasons, to the world “рождение”, meaning “birth”.

During the Soviet Union, Christmas was gradually forsaken as a religious element that did not suit the atheist dogma of Soviet ideology. Despite this, Christmas rose from its pine tree ashes after 1991. Due to this reason, not many Russians will visit church service on Christmas day, nor indulge in any extravagant celebrations.

Meeting with relatives, however, sharing fortune-telling stories and classic fables on Christmas Eve as well as preparing dishes like “крендель” (=Christmas sweet bread, krendel) and “кулебяка” (=something like a shepherd’s pie, kulebyaka), alongside with Olivier’s salat and pirozhki, are common practices of a Russian Christmas.

16. “Happy New Year” in Russian – С Новым годом (s NOvim GOdam)

To wish someone a happy new year, say С Новым годом.

Due to the predominance of Soviet secularism and the adherence to the Julian calendar for Christmas, Russians channel all the holiday hype towards the earlier New Year’s celebrations. New Year’s Eve would be the day to visit concerts and festivals and watch the fireworks displays from the Red Square when the clock strikes 12.

New Year’s Eve is also the merriest time for children, when the very Russian counterpart of Santa Claus, Дед Мороз (Ded MarOz) and his grand-daughter Снегурочка (Snegurochka) arrive at night bearing gifts. Ded Maroz places the gifts under the ёлка (yolka), the Christmas tree which is actually set up weeks before for New Year’s.

17. “Cheers” in Russian – Будем здоровы (bUdem zdarOvi)

Sorry to disappoint anyone who has used the phrase “на здоровье!” (na zdarOvyie) from an American spy film, there are indeed many ways to say “cheers” in Russian, but that does not appear to be one of them.

It seems that making toasts, accompanied by hopeful or enigmatic little stories, is the established version of Russian “cheers”. Standard Russian toasts would include будем здоровы (=to us being healthy, bUdem zdarOvi), “за тебя” (=to you, za tebyia) or за вас (za vas), or anything you could normally make a toast on in English. For example, “за успех” (=to success, za uspEh) or “за счастье” (=to happiness, za schAstyie).

No Russian wedding would be complete without someone also shouting “горько!” (gOrka). This toast, meaning “bitter”, is exclaimed to encourage the bride and groom to kiss, so as to “sweeten” the food and the atmosphere.

18. “I wish you health and happiness” in Russian – Желаю вам/тебе здоровья и счастья (zelAyiu vam/tebE zdarOvia i schAstia)

Whether it’s Christmas, Easter or someone’s birthday, using the phrase Желаю вам здоровья и счастья, with “вам” appropriate for formal settings and “тебе” for informal occasions, is always a thoughtful and warm gesture towards a friend or colleague.

Other useful Russian greetings to wish the best for someone could be yдачи! (uDAchi) or счастливого! (schastLIvava), meaning “good luck” or “I wish you all the best”.

Also, another amusing popular expression amongst friends is “ни пуха ни пера!” (ni pUha ni perA), literally meaning “nor fluff, nor feather”. This expression would be equivalent to the French “bonne merde” or the English “break a leg”, as it was based on the superstition that wishing hunters bad luck in catching any animals, would bring opposite results.

Other essential Russian greetings and phrases

I apologize for – Прошу прощения за (+noun)/что (+verb) e.g. Прошу прощения за задержку (prashU prashEniyia za zadErzku) – I apologize for the delay

Sorry/Excuse me – Простите/Извините e.g. Простите/Извините, можно меню, пожалуйста? (prasTIte/IzviNIte, mOzna mEhiyu, pazAluista?) – Excuse me, may I have the menu, please?

I don’t speak Russian – Я не говорю по-русски e.g. Извините, я не говорю по-русски (izviNIte, yia ne gavariU pa rUski) – Excuse me, I don’t speak Russian

How much does it cost? – Сколько стоит? e.g. Извините, сколько это/этa/этот (платье, рубашка, галстук) стоит? (IzviNIte, skOlka eta/eta/etat platye/rubAska/galsTUk sTOit?) – How much does this (dress, shirt, tie) cost?

Can I pay by card? – Можно заплатить кредитной карточкой? (mOzna zaplAtit kreDItnai kArtachkai?)

Can I pay with cash? – Можно заплатить наличными? (mOzna zaplAtit naLIchnimi?)

Left/Right/Straight – лево/право/прямо e.g. Πоверните налево / направо (pavernNIte naLEva/naprAva) – Turn left/right. Идите прямо вперед (iDIte pryiAma vperiOd) – Go straight ahead

Where is the restroom? – Где туалет? (gde tualEt)

Where is the metro/ bus/ tram? – Где метро / автобус / трамвай? (gde metrO/ avtObus tramvAi?)

One/two/three ticket(s), please – Один/два/три билет(a), пожалуйста (aDIn/dva/tri biliet(a), pazAluista)

Looking to take the next step? Start learning Russian by checking out these Russian learning books or apps that will make your learning journey a lot more enjoyable. Also, learn the various ways to say “thank you” in Russian!

What’s the first word you use to start a conversation? It’s “hello,” of course. That’s why it’s important to learn how to say hello in Russian. In fact, the more greetings you know, the better. Knowledge of common greetings will help you choose the one that suits a situation. Let’s get started.

To achieve fluency in the Russian language, learn it with a teacher.

“Здравствуйте” (Zdravstvuite): “Hello”

The word “здравствуйте” (zdravstvuite) is universal. You can use it in nearly all situations—when you meet a person for the first time, when you go shopping, when you visit a doctor, etc.

The English translation of the word “здравствуйте” (zdravstvuite) is “hello.” Unlike in English, you don’t say “здравствуйте” (zdravstvuite) to your friends, because this word is quite formal. The literal meaning of “здравствуйте” (zdravstvuite) is “I wish you health.”

There’s also a form of this word that you can use when you meet a person you already know. “Здравствуй” (zdravstvui) is an informal but respectful greeting.

“Привет” (Privet): “Hi”

“Привет” (privet) is another common greeting in Russian that can be heard everywhere. Use it while talking to friends or peers. This is an informal greeting, and the English translation of “привет” (privet) is “hi.”

“Доброе утро” (Dobroe utro): “Good morning”

The phrase “доброе утро” (dobroe utro) means “good morning” and can be used only until 12 p.m. It’s widely used in both formal and informal situations.

“Добрый день” (Dobryi den’): “Good afternoon”

Russians say “добрый день” (dobryi den’) to each other during the day (till 6 p.m.). This is another example of formal greetings in Russian, so don’t say it to your friends. It would sound awkward. This can be translated into English as “good afternoon.”

“Добрый вечер” (Dobryi vecher): “Good evening”

Say “добрый вечер” (dobryi vecher) when you meet a person in the evening in a formal situation. The English counterpart of “добрый вечер” (dobryi vecher) is “good evening.”

You can use the word “здравствуйте” (zdravstvuite) instead of “доброе утро” (dobroe utro), “добрый день” (dobryi den’), and “добрый вечер” (dobryi vecher). Practice pronouncing these words and phrases, and pick the one that’s easier to cope with.

“Здарова” (Zdarova): “Hey”

The word “здарова” (zdarova) is a slang word, which is typically used by young people and men. It can be translated into English as “hey” or “what’s up?”

“Алло” (Allo): “Hello”

The word “алло” (allo), sometimes “алё” (alyo), is used only while answering the phone.

These are the common greetings Russians use in everyday life. Try to remember at least one formal and one informal way of saying hello. To learn more greetings, study Russian online.

First impressions matter. That’s why it’s good to know several different ways of saying ‘hello’ in Russian.

If you’re a non-native Russian speaker (and I guess you are if you’re reading this), you won’t get judged harshly for making mistakes when trying to speak Russian.

On the contrary, most Russians will appreciate it a lot that you’re taking the time and effort to learn (some) Russian. Even if you’re just for a week in Russia as a tourist, it’s still great to know a couple of basic phrases. Or if you’d like to surprise people, try some of these Russian words.

And knowing how to say hello in Russian is definitely one of the more important ones.

There are 3 categories of greetings in virtually every language:

• Formal greetings
• Informal greetings
• Situation-specific greetings

So that’s also how we’re going to discuss the Russian greetings here.

Formal greetings

The following greetings are formal. That means you can use them whenever it’s a serious situation (customs, business, hotel). It’s also a good idea to say one of the following greetings whenever you’re not sure what is more appropriate.

The Russian language is more ‘formal-oriented’ than English, so it’s a good idea to only switch to informal ways of saying ‘hello’ once the other person uses an informal greeting.

Здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte)

The most common for ‘hello’, and also the most difficult for foreigners to pronounce at first. Здравствуйте contains 4 consonants after each other, and this is something we’re completely not used to in English (or most Western languages, really).

It may take some time to practice this one, but if you can say it—or even have the courage to say it—Russians will appreciate it.

One tip here is to skip the first ‘v’ (the one in the middle between the ‘a’ and the ‘s’). So you actually say ‘zdrastvuyte’ instead of ‘zdravstvuyte’. If you pay close attention to native speakers, you’ll find that they often omit it as well. It won’t make it easy to pronounce, but a little easier than before.

Since Здравствуйте is so common, you can use it in virtually any situation where in English you’d say ‘Hello’.

Доброе утро (dobroye utro)

Доброе утро literally means ‘Good morning’, so you can use it to say ‘hello’ in the mornings. Just like in English, the mornings go from around 6AM to 12PM.

Добрый день (dobriy den’)

Добрый день literally means ‘Good day’. Unlike Доброе утро, you can use this the whole day long, though it’s more common to say it during the day from 12PM to 6PM.

Добрый вечер (dobriy vecher)

As you may have expected, Добрый вечер means ’Good evening’. You can use this phrase anywhere after 6PM. And just like in English, you can also say it at night. Keep in mind that, just like ‘Good night’ in English means you wish someone a good night, the equivalent in Russian—‘Спокойной ночи’ is also only used to wish someone well, and not as a greeting.

Informal greetings

The following informal greetings are used when meeting friends, or in non-serious situations. In theory, it’s better to stick with the formal greetings, unless you know for sure that you can be informal, such as with a good friend—or to reciprocate, when someone greets you with one of the following greetings.

In practice, for foreigners it doesn’t really matter. Especially in case you’re just starting out learning Russian, people won’t care too much if you accidentally use an informal greeting instead of a formal one, though you may get some weird looks if you say ‘Здарова’ to the customs officer.

Здрасте (Zdraste)

Здрасте is the shortened version of Здравствуйте. If you ask a Russian to repeat the full word 10 times as fast as he can, you’ll end up with Здрасте. While this is way easier to pronounce, it also loses some of its formality, so that’s why it’s here in the informal greeting list.

Здравствуй

Здравствуй is another shortened version of Здравствуйте. The ‘те’ in the end indicates polite speech. That’s because Здравствуйте is originally the polite command version of the verb Здравствовать (to live long). You don’t need this information, if you’re just casually learning a couple of phrases while being a tourist in Russia.

Привет (privyet)

This is the most common informal word for hello in Russian. It’s a lot more simple to pronounce, and you can use it everywhere you would use the English ‘hi’.

Приветик (privyetik)

Приветик is the diminutive form of Привет. You can most often hear it from kids or girls, or from adults saying it to kids.

Алло (Allo)

It’s most often used by Russians when picking up the phone. As a foreigner, people don’t expect you to say this word.

Здарова (Zdarova)

Здарова is mainly used by younger guys to say ‘hi’. So if you’re in this age category, and you’re meeting some good friends, you can use this word. Though as a foreigner, it’s better to watch out for Russian slang, as it makes you look like a try-hard very easily.

Situation specific greetings

Добро пожаловать (dobro pozhalovat’)

Добро пожаловать is the Russian way of saying ‘Welcome’. So you wouldn’t say it when you meet a friend at a cafe or restaurant. You say Добро пожаловать when someone comes to your place. So if you’re traveling to Russia for the first time, and people are waiting for you at the airport, or in their own home, you can expect to hear this phrase from them. Добро пожаловать в Россию! means ‘Welcome to Russia!’.

С приездом (S priyezdom)

С приездом literally means ‘with your arrival’. You’ll be likely to hear this as well once you arrive in Russia. While you probably won’t say this in Russia, you can say it if you have Russian friends/people over in your home country.

And that’s it. We’ve discussed the most common variants of saying hello in Russian. If you’re traveling to Russia, it’s best to learn Здравствуйте and Привет, as they are the most common. Don’t worry if you mess up the pronunciation, as Russians would already appreciate the fact that you are trying to pronounce Здравствуйте 🙂

Author: Arie Helderman is a native Dutch speaker. He started learning Russian around 2015, and now runs a YouTube channel in Russian (Ари говорит по-Русски) with more than 50.000 subscribers. You can also find him on https://learntherussianlanguage.com/, where he shares his methods and strategies to learn conversational Russian in a relatively fast time frame.