What does it mean word for word?
Привет means 'Hi/Hello', и is the conjunction meaning 'and' and пока is an informal way to say 'bye'.
Which one should you use?
The phrase Привет и пока is the informal version. For professional settings or when speaking to people you do not know well, you should use the formal equivalent Здравствуйте и до свидания.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Привет и пока is strictly informal and should only be used with friends, family or peers. If you need to be formal, use Здравствуйте for hello and До свидания for goodbye. Other informal options for hello include Здорово, which is often used among young people, while Доброе утро (good morning) and Добрый вечер (good evening) are formal ways to greet someone at specific times of day.
How do you pronounce it?
Privet i poka
When do people say it?
In Russian, greetings change significantly based on the time of day and the level of formality. While Привет и пока is very casual, you might use Доброе утро specifically until around noon or Добрый вечер to greet someone in the evening or at night. When parting ways, if you expect to see someone again soon, you can also use Увидимся (See you later).
Did you know?
- The word привет originally meant more than just a greeting, referring to an 'intention', 'will', or even a 'dictum' in Old East Slavic.
- While Привет и пока is common among friends, using the word Здорово for a greeting can sound quite 'tough' or specific to certain groups of young men.
- The casual farewell пока is likely a shortened version of a longer phrase meaning 'farewell for now', similar to how English speakers use 'so long'.
Examples in context
- Привет и пока! Я – Нононг.Hello and bye! I'm Nonong.This sentence demonstrates the use of Привет и пока as a greeting and introduction.Tatoeba #1502383 by gleki, translation #1502382 by gleki
- Просто скажи ей: привет и пока.Prosto skazhi ey: privet i poka.Just say to her: hello and bye.
Example conversation
Ekaterina and Sergey meet briefly in a hallway.
- Сергей SergeyПривет, Екатерина!Privet, Ekaterina!Hello, Ekaterina!
- Екатерина EkaterinaПривет, Сергей! Я спешу.Privet, Sergey! Ya speshú.Hello, Sergey! I am in a hurry.
- Сергей SergeyТогда просто: привет и пока.Togda prosto: privet i poka.Then just: hello and bye.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДа, привет и пока!Da, privet i poka!Yes, hello and bye!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries и, пока, привет, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
