नमस्ते
namasteeveryday, Hindi
Hindi speakers usually greet people in the afternoon with नमस्ते (namaste), the same greeting used all day. शुभ दोपहर (śubh dopahar) is the literal "good afternoon".
Meaning: greeting used after midday (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| नमस्ते | namaste | everyday, Hindi |
| शुभ दोपहर | śubh dopahar | formal, written |
नमस्ते (namaste) works at any hour and with any age. शुभ दोपहर (śubh dopahar) sounds formal and is more common in writing, announcements or broadcasts than in daily speech.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, ordinary Hindi does not change the greeting by time of day, so a separate afternoon greeting is rarely needed.
Did you know?
- Adding जी (jī) after a name, as in गुप्ता जी, is a common way to show respect in Hindi.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?namaste, āp kaise haiṃ?Good afternoon, how are you?
- सभी को शुभ दोपहर।sabhī ko śubh dopahar.Good afternoon, everyone.
Example conversation
Meera greets the receptionist Mr. Gupta when she arrives for a meeting at 2 p.m.
- Meeraनमस्ते, गुप्ता जी।namaste, guptā jī.Good afternoon, Mr. Gupta.
- Mr. Guptaनमस्ते, मीरा जी। आइए।namaste, mīrā jī. āie.Hello, Meera. Please come in.
- Meeraधन्यवाद।dhanyavād.Thank you.
