નમસ્તે
namaste/ˈnə.məs.t̪eː/
In Gujarati, the phrase for hi is નમસ્તે (namaste).
The word નમસ્તે is a respectful greeting used to say hello. While it is often used to translate the English 'hi', it carries a level of politeness that makes it suitable for various social contexts. Other ways to greet people include Kem cho? to ask 'How are you?', Shu chhe? to informally ask 'What's up?' and Suprabhat specifically for a morning greeting.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While the English 'hi' is strictly informal, નમસ્તે is more versatile and can be used to greet elders, teachers or strangers to show respect. For a very respectful greeting derived from Sanskrit, you can also use Namaskar.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of નમસ્તે is /ˈnə.məs.t̪eː/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
If someone greets you with Kem cho?, a common reply is Majama, which means 'I am fine'.
Did you know?
- The concept of greeting in Gujarati culture is often linked to the idea of recognizing the divinity within the person you are addressing.
- Although નમસ્તે is common, many Gujarati speakers use religious greetings like Jai Shree Krishna or Jai Swaminarayan as their primary way to say 'hi'.
- While નમસ્તે is a standard greeting, in many Gujarati-speaking communities, people may instead greet elders by touching their feet as a sign of deep respect.
Examples in context
- નમસ્તે, તમે કેમ છો?namaste, tame kem cho?Hi, how are you?
- નમસ્તે, બધું બરાબર છે?namaste, badhu barabar che?Hi, is everything okay?
- નમસ્તે, મને મળીને આનંદ થયો.namaste, mane maline aanand thayo.Hi, nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Nilay and Anjali meet at a library.
- નિલય Nilayનમસ્તે, અંજલિ!Namaste, Anjali!Hi, Anjali!
- અંજલિ Anjaliનમસ્તે, નિલય! શું ચાલે છે?Namaste, Nilay! Shu chāle che?Hi, Nilay! What's going on?
- નિલય Nilayબસ, હું વાંચી રહ્યો છું.Bas, hu vānchī rahyō chu.Just reading.
- અંજલિ Anjaliસરસ, હું પણ વાંચું છું.Saras, hu pan vānchu chu.Great, I am reading too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry નમસ્તે, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
