नमो नमः, भवान् कथम् अस्ति?
namo namaḥ, bhavān katham asti?
A polite way to say hi, how are you? In Sanskrit is नमो नमः, भवान् कथम् अस्ति? (namo namaḥ, bhavān katham asti?).
नमो नमः, भवान् कथम् अस्ति? greets someone and asks about their well being in one polite sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
भवान् (bhavān) is the masculine singular form of the polite you. To address a woman, replace bhavān with भवती (bhavatī).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use bhavān when speaking to a woman. Use bhavatī instead.
When do people say it?
A common reply is कुशलोऽस्मि, meaning I am well, said by a man. A woman uses a slightly different feminine form. People often bring their hands together in a prayer position while greeting someone with Namaste as a sign of respect.
Did you know?
- The polite forms of 'you' like भवान् and भवती are derived from words meaning 'existence' or 'being'. When you use them, you are essentially addressing the other person as 'the esteemed being'.
- The word अस्ति ('asti'), meaning 'is', shares the same ancient root as the English verb 'is' and the Latin 'est'.
- The greeting नमो नमः uses a repetition of the word नमः to intensify the feeling of respect. This acts as a 'double greeting' rather than a single one.
Examples in context
- नमो नमः, भवान् कथम् अस्ति? अहं कुशली अस्मि।namo namaḥ, bhavān katham asti? ahaṃ kuśalī asmi.Hi, how are you? I am well.
Example conversation
Two friends meet in a park.
- मीरा Miraनमो नमः, भवान् कथम् अस्ति?namo namaḥ, bhavān katham asti?Hello, how are you?
- आर्यन Aryanनमो नमः! अहं कुशली अस्मि।namo namaḥ! ahaṃ kuśalī asmi.Hello! I am well.
- मीरा Miraशृणु, भवान् कुत: आगच्छति?śṛṇu, bhavān kutaḥ āgacchati?Listen, where are you coming from?
- आर्यन Aryanअहं गृहतः आगच्छामि।ahaṃ gṛhataḥ āgachāmi.I am coming from home.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अस्ति, कथम्, CC BY-SA 4.0.
