Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| приві́т | pryvít | informal |
| здоро́в був | zdoróv buv | informal |
| чоло́м | čolóm | |
| се́рвус | sérvus | |
| здра́стуйте | zdrástujte | |
| здра́стуй | zdrástuj | |
| добри́день | dobrýdenʹ | formal, gender neutral |
You might use приві́т to say hi to a friend, or more traditional expressions like добри́день to wish someone a good day.
What does it mean word for word?
The informal masculine greeting здоро́в був literally translates to 'be healthy'.
Which one should you use?
While приві́т is a casual greeting used among friends, здра́стуйте is more respectful. The form добри́день acts as a slightly old-fashioned or traditional way to say 'good day' or 'hello'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For informal situations, you can use приві́т or здоро́в був. For formal situations, you can use добри́день, здра́стуйте or Добрий день.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The greeting се́рвус is used primarily in Western Ukraine and is influenced by Latin and Central European traditions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form здра́стуйте is used when addressing someone formally or when addressing a group of people. Conversely, здра́стуй is the singular, informal version used for one person you know well.
How do you pronounce it?
pryvít
Did you know?
- In Ukraine, it is common to avoid shaking hands or saying здра́стуйте across a threshold. People usually step fully into a room or outside before greeting each other to avoid bad luck.
- While се́рвус is used in Western Ukraine, it comes from the Latin word for 'slave'. In this context, it functions as a humble way of saying 'at your service'.
- The phrase здоро́в був uses the past tense, which literally means 'you were healthy'. It is a traditional way of acknowledging a person's well-being upon meeting.
Examples in context
- Приві́т, як справи?Pryvit, yak spravy?Hi, how are things?
- Приві́т усім моїм друзям!Pryvit usim moyim druzyam!Hello to all my friends!
- Приві́т, давно не бачилися.Pryvit, davno ne bachylysya.Hi, long time no see.
Example conversation
Oleksandr and Nataliia meet in a park.
- Олександр OleksandrПриві́т, Наталіє!Pryvit, Nataliye!Hi, Nataliia!
- Наталія NataliiaОлександре, привіт!Oleksandre, pryvit!Oleksandr, hi!
- Олександр OleksandrЯк ти сьогодні?Yak ty siohodni?How are you today?
- Наталія NataliiaДобре, дякую.Dobre, dyakuyu.Good, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
