नमस्ते
namaste/nə.məs.t̪eː/
In Hindi, 'hi' can be expressed as नमस्ते (namaste). Wiktionary also lists सलाम (salām) and हाइ (hāi).
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| नमस्ते | namaste | /nə.məs.t̪eː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| सलाम | salām | /sə.lɑːm/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| हाइ | hāi |
The phrase is used as a friendly, informal greeting.
What does it mean word for word?
The word नमस्ते is a combination of nama (bow) and te (to you), which literally means 'I bow to you'.
Which one should you use?
नमस्ते is the standard greeting. In contrast, हाइ is a transliteration of the English word 'hi' and is more casual.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
नमस्ते is a common and respected way to greet someone. For very casual, modern settings among younger people, हाइ is used. In more specific cultural contexts, सलाम is a respectful greeting used primarily by the Muslim community.
How do you pronounce it?
namaste (nə.məs.t̪eː)
When do people say it?
When saying नमस्ते, it is culturally common to place your palms together at chest level with a slight bow. The expression carries the deeper meaning 'I bow to the divine qualities in you'.
Did you know?
- The greeting सलाम shares a common ancestor with the Hebrew word 'Shalom', making it a linguistic relative of the Jewish peace greeting.
- The gesture of palms pressed together used with नमस्ते is known as the 'Anjali Mudra' in yoga and symbolizes the union of two opposites.
- Although नमस्ते is the most famous greeting, in very formal or royal contexts, people historically used the greeting प्रणाम to express even deeper reverence.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते!Hi!This sentence shows the use of नमस्ते as a standard greeting.Tatoeba #8879539 by simranbansal, translation #2742244 by MTC
- नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?namaste, aap kaise hain?Hi, how are you?
- नमस्ते, क्या चल रहा है?namaste, kya chal raha hai?Hi, what is going on?
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- पूजा Poojaनमस्ते, विकास!Namaste, Vikas!Hi, Vikas!
- विकास Vikasनमस्ते, पूजा! तुम कैसी हो?Namaste, Pooja! Tum kaisi ho?Hi, Pooja! How are you?
- पूजा Poojaमैं ठीक हूँ, शुक्रिया।Main theek hoon, shukriya.I am fine, thank you.
- विकास Vikasयह सुनकर अच्छा लगा।Yeh sunkar accha laga.It is good to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries नमस्ते, सलाम, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries नमस्ते, सलाम, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
