Which one should you use?
While Здравствуйте, как ваши дела сегодня? is a standard polite greeting, you might also use Добрый день, как поживаете сегодня? to say "Good day, how are you today?" In more casual settings, the informal Привет, как дела сегодня? can be used to say "Hi, how are things today?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Здравствуйте, как ваши дела сегодня? is a polite and formal way to address someone. For a more formal tone, you can use Здравствуйте, как поживаете сегодня? or Добрый день, как поживаете сегодня? If you are in an informal setting, you can use Привет, как дела сегодня? or the common informal alternative Привет, как дела?
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Здравствуйте, как ваши дела сегодня?, the word дела is the plural form of дело, meaning "affairs", "matters" or "business". This is why the phrase literally asks "how are your affairs?"
How do you pronounce it?
Zdravstvuyte, kak vashi dela segodnya?
Did you know?
- The formal greeting Здравствуйте is actually an imperative command. It is derived from the word 'здравие', meaning 'health', and essentially commands the listener to 'be healthy'.
- In Russia, if you ask 'как ваши дела?' (how are your affairs?), people may not give a superficial answer like English speakers. A literal response about one's actual business or problems is quite common.
- The formal greeting Здравствуйте contains a 'silent' first 'в' that is not pronounced. The spoken word sounds more like Здраствуйте.
Examples in context
- Здравствуйте, как ваши дела сегодня? Всё хорошо?Zdravstvuyte, kak vashi dela segodnya? Vsyo khorosho?Hello, how are you today? Is everything good?
Example conversation
Andrey and Ekaterina meet at a professional conference.
- Андрей AndreyЗдравствуйте, как ваши дела сегодня?Zdravstvuyte, kak vashi dela segodnya?Hello, how are you today?
- Екатерина EkaterinaСпасибо, всё хорошо. А у вас?Spasibo, vsyo khorosho. A u vas?Thank you, everything is good. And you?
- Андрей AndreyТоже отлично, спасибо за вопрос.Tozhe otlichno, spasibo za vopros.Also great, thank you for asking.
- Екатерина EkaterinaЯ рада это слышать, Андрей.Ya rada eto slyshat', Andrey.I am glad to hear that, Andrey.
