नमस्कार
namaskār/nə.məs.kaɾ/
नमस्कार (namaskār) is the Marathi phrase for hello and goodbye.
नमस्कार is a common, versatile and polite way to say hello. It is used both when arriving to greet someone and when leaving to bid them farewell.
Which one should you use?
While नमस्कार is the standard Marathi term, the word नमस्ते is also understood and used because it is common in Hindi and Sanskrit.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is namaskār (3 syllables). The sounds are similar to: [n]ot for /n/, [a]bout for /ə/, [m]ight for /m/, [s]ee for /s/, s[c]an for /k/ and American a[t]om for /ɾ/.
Did you know?
- The phrase नमस्कार is used to show respect not only to people but also to deities and sacred objects in shrines.
- When saying नमस्कार, it is common to join your palms together near your chest in a gesture called 'Anjali Mudra'.
- The word नमस्कार is built from two Sanskrit roots: नमस् meaning 'bow' or 'salutation' and कार meaning 'act' or 'doing'.
Examples in context
- नमस्कार, कसे आहात?Namaskār, kase āhāt?Hello, how are you?
- त्यांना नमस्कार सांगा.Tyānnā namaskār sāngā.Give them my regards.
- सर्वांना माझा नमस्कार.Sarvānnā mājhā namaskār.My greetings to everyone.
Example conversation
Amit and Sneha meet briefly in a hallway.
- अमित Amitनमस्कार, स्नेहा!Namaskār, Snehā!Hello, Sneha!
- स्नेहा Snehaनमस्कार, अमित. कुठे चाललात?Namaskār, Amit. Kuthe chāllāt?Hello, Amit. Where are you going?
- अमित Amitमी ऑफिसला जात आहे.Mī officelā jāt āhe.I am going to the office.
- स्नेहा Snehaठीक आहे, नमस्कार!Ṭhīk āhe, namaskār!Okay, goodbye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry नमस्कार, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries नमस्कार, CC BY-SA 4.0.
