नमस्ते दोस्त
namaste dost/nə.məs.t̪eː d̪oːst̪/word by word
To say "hello friend" in Hindi, you use नमस्ते दोस्त (namaste dost).
The phrase is a friendly greeting used to say hello to a friend. You may also encounter terms like Mitra to mean friend or the popular term Yaar.
Which one should you use?
While नमस्ते दोस्त is polite, in very casual settings among close friends, one might omit the namaste and simply use a casual greeting or just the person's name. Another informal way to say "hello friend!" is Yaar, Namaste!
How do you pronounce it?
namaste dost (nə.məs.t̪eː d̪oːst̪)
When do people say it?
When saying नमस्ते, it is customary to place your palms together near your chest in a prayer-like gesture.
Did you know?
- The word दोस्त shares a common ancestor with the English word 'gusto', tracing back through Persian to a root expressing pleasure.
- When using the नमस्ते part of the phrase, the traditional gesture of pressing your palms together is actually a way of showing respect to the divine essence within the other person.
- While नमस्ते is universally recognized, in certain religious or highly formal contexts, people might substitute it with प्रणाम (pranām) to show even greater deference to a friend who is much older.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते दोस्त, कैसे हो?namaste dost, kaise ho?Hello friend, how are you?
- नमस्ते दोस्त, बहुत दिनों बाद मिले!namaste dost, bahut dinon baad mile!Hello friend, long time no see!
- नमस्ते दोस्त, क्या चल रहा है?namaste dost, kya chal raha hai?Hello friend, what is going on?
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- राहुल Rahulनमस्ते दोस्त, यहाँ क्या कर रहे हो?Namaste dost, yahan kya kar rahe ho?Hello friend, what are you doing here?
- पूजा Poojaमैं बस कॉफी पी रही हूँ, राहुल।Main bas coffee pee rahi hoon, Rahul.I am just drinking coffee, Rahul.
- राहुल Rahulक्या मैं भी तुम्हारे साथ बैठूँ?Kya main bhi tumhare saath baithoon?May I sit with you too?
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, बिल्कुल बैठो!Haan, bilkul baitho!Yes, please sit!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (नमस्ते, दोस्त) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries दोस्त, नमस्ते, CC BY-SA 4.0.
