Привет
privetinformal
In English letters the Russian word for "hello" is Привет (privet). The formal version is Здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte). It is also called Добрый день (dobryy den).
Meaning: greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Привет | privet | informal |
| Здравствуйте | zdravstvuyte | formal |
| Добрый день | dobryy den | good day |
Say privet to friends, family and people your age. Use zdravstvuyte with strangers, older people and at work.
How do you pronounce it?
Say Привет (privet) as "pree-VYET" with the stress on the second syllable. In Здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte) the first в is not pronounced, so it sounds like "ZDRAST-vooy-tye".
What mistakes should you avoid?
There is no single official way to write Russian in English letters, so you may see privet, privyet or priviet. They all stand for the same word.
Did you know?
- Здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte) comes from a verb meaning "be healthy", so it is literally a wish for good health.
Examples in context
- Привет, как дела?privet, kak dela?Hi, how are you?
- Здравствуйте, меня зовут Анна.zdravstvuyte, menya zovut anna.Hello, my name is Anna.
- Добрый день!dobryy den!Good day!
Example conversation
Anna meets her new colleague Igor at an office in Moscow.
- AnnaЗдравствуйте, я Анна.zdravstvuyte, ya anna.Hello, I am Anna.
- IgorПривет, Анна. Я Игорь.privet, anna. ya igor.Hi, Anna. I am Igor.
- AnnaОчень приятно.ochen priyatno.Nice to meet you.
