नमस्ते
namaste/nə.məs.t̪eː/
नमस्ते (namaste) is the Hindi way to say good day.
नमस्ते is used to mean hello or good day. While it can specifically mean a greeting used between sunrise and sunset, it is actually the standard greeting for hello at any time of day.
Meaning: greeting between sunrise and sunset (intj)
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which uses different greetings for the morning, afternoon and evening, नमस्ते is used universally regardless of the time of day.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using नमस्ते is considered polite and respectful in both formal and informal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
namaste (/nə.məs.t̪eː/). It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some regions, the greeting is accompanied by a gesture where one person touches the feet of an elder to show respect.
- The word नमस्ते is a combination of two Sanskrit words: namas, meaning 'bows' or 'reverence', and te, meaning 'to you'.
- The concept behind नमस्ते is often interpreted as 'the divine light in me bows to the divine light in you'.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?namaste, aap kaise hain?Good day, how are you?
- नमस्ते, क्या सब ठीक है?namaste, kya sab theek hai?Good day, is everything alright?
- नमस्ते, मेरा नाम विकास है।namaste, mera naam vikas hai.Good day, my name is Vikas.
Example conversation
Vikas meets Anjali in a park during the afternoon.
- विकास Vikasनमस्ते, अंजलि!namaste, anjali!Good day, Anjali!
- अंजलि Anjaliनमस्ते, विकास। आप कैसे हैं?namaste, vikas. aap kaise hain?Good day, Vikas. How are you?
- विकास Vikasमैं ठीक हूँ, धन्यवाद।main theek hoon, dhanyavad.I am fine, thank you.
- अंजलि Anjaliसुनकर अच्छा लगा।sunkar achha laga.Good to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good day” translations and entries नमस्ते, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries नमस्ते, CC BY-SA 4.0.
