Привет, как дела?
The English phrase "hey, what's up?" translates to the Russian Привет, как дела?
Привет, как дела? is a commonly used informal greeting that translates to "Hi, how are things?" Other informal variations include Привет, что нового? (Hi, what's new?) and Привет, как сам? (Hi, how are you doing?), the latter of which is used among friends and acquaintances. Among Russian youth, the greeting Здорово, как дела? is sometimes shortened to Здорово, как ты? to mean "Hey, how are you?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Привет (Hi) and как дела? (how are things/affairs?).
Which one should you use?
Привет, как дела? is used for informal situations, whereas for a formal or polite setting, you should use Здравствуйте, как у вас дела? instead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Привет, как дела? is informal and should be used with friends, peers or people you know well.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Как дела?, the word дела is the plural form of дело (affair/matter/thing), so the verb "are" is implied in the grammatical structure.
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to Как дела? is Хорошо, спасибо (Good, thanks).
Did you know?
- The formal version Здравствуйте is a command meaning 'Be healthy', making the formal greeting a wish for the other person's well-being.
- While Как дела? translates to 'How are things?', asking it in Russia can sometimes be interpreted as a genuine request for a detailed life update rather than a casual greeting.
- The word дела in Как дела? comes from дело, which can mean 'business', 'case' or even a 'crime' in a legal context.
Examples in context
- Привет, Алекс! Как дела?Hi, Alex! How are things?
- Привет, Ольга! Что нового?Hi, Olga! What's new?
- Привет, Иван! Как сам?Hi, Ivan! How are you doing?
- Привет, как дела?Privet, kak dela?Hey, what's up?
