Здарова
zdarovaslang
The common slang for "hi" in Russian is Здарова (zdarova), used mostly among men and young people. Хай (khay) comes from English "hi". Привет (privet) is the casual standard.
Meaning: casual greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Здарова | zdarova | slang |
| Хай | khay | slang |
| Привет | privet | casual |
Здарова is short for Здравствуй (zdravstvuy) and sounds friendly and rough. It fits among friends and peers, not at work.
Which one should you use?
Хай (khay) is playful and belongs to the younger crowd. Привет (privet) is safe with all friends.
Did you know?
- Сто лет не виделись (sto let ne videlis), literally "a hundred years we have not seen", is a common phrase for "long time no see".
Examples in context
- Здарова, как жизнь?zdarova, kak zhizn?Hey, how is life?
- Хай, народ!khay, narod!Hi, everyone!
- Привет, давно не виделись.privet, davno ne videlis.Hi, long time no see.
Example conversation
Artem meets his old school friend Pasha at a bus stop in Novosibirsk.
- ArtemЗдарова, Паша!zdarova, pasha!Hey, Pasha!
- PashaО, Артём, привет!o, artyom, privet!Oh, Artem, hi!
- ArtemСто лет не виделись.sto let ne videlis.We have not seen each other for ages.
