до́брый ве́чер
dóbryj véčer
до́брый ве́чер (dóbryj véčer) is the Russian way to say good evening.
The phrase is used as a greeting during the evening hours.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective до́брый (good) and the noun ве́чер (evening).
Which one should you use?
While до́брый ве́чер is used for the evening, Russian uses до́брое у́тро for morning and до́брый день for the daytime or afternoon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive form до́брого ве́чера is used when you are wishing someone a good evening, such as when saying 'I wish you a good evening'.
How do you pronounce it?
dóbryj véčer
Did you know?
- If you transition from greeting someone with до́брый ве́чер to wishing them a good night as they depart, the word 'good' changes from до́брый to споко́йный, meaning 'peaceful'.
- Russian has a distinct word суме́рки for the specific period of twilight that occurs during the ве́чер, a nuance that English usually covers with the general word 'evening'.
- If you use the phrase до́брый ве́чер too early in the afternoon, a Russian speaker might jokingly correct you, as the transition to ве́чер is culturally tied to the fading light rather than a strict clock time.
Examples in context
- До́брый ве́чер, как ва́ши дела?Dobryy vecher, kak vashi dela?Good evening, how are you?
- До́брый ве́чер всем го́стям.Dobryy vecher vsem gostyam.Good evening to all the guests.
- Просто скажи́те: «До́брый ве́чер».Prosto skazhite: "Dobryy vecher".Just say: "Good evening".
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
