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 |
नमस्ते is a widely known and respected greeting. You may also hear सलाम or the English loanword transcription हाइ.
Which one should you use?
सलाम is another way to greet someone, while हाइ is a phonetic transcription of the English word 'hi'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
नमस्ते is used when greeting someone older or in formal situations. हाइ is considered slang and is used primarily by younger generations in urban, casual settings.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of नमस्ते is /nə.məs.t̪eː/. It has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
When saying नमस्ते, it is customary to place your palms together near your chest in a prayer-like gesture. If you are in a formal or respectful setting, you might follow your greeting with आप कैसे हैं? to ask how someone is doing.
Did you know?
- The greeting नमस्ते is actually a contraction of the Sanskrit phrase meaning 'I bow to the divine in you'.
- In many Indian cultures, a person might touch the feet of an elder while saying नमस्ते to show deep respect. This gesture is called 'charansparsh'.
- नमस्ते can be used not only to say 'hi' but also to say 'goodbye'. It serves as both an entrance and an exit greeting.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते!Hi!This sentence shows how to use the form नमस्ते as a greeting.Tatoeba #8879539 by simranbansal, translation #2742244 by MTC
- नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?namaste, aap kaise hain?Hello, how are you?
- नमस्ते, मेरा नाम अंजलि है।namaste, mera naam anjali hai.Hello, my name is Anjali.
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet in a park.
- अंजलि Anjaliनमस्ते, अमित!namaste, amit!Hello, Amit!
- अमित Amitनमस्ते, अंजलि! कैसी हैं आप?namaste, anjali! kaisi hain aap?Hello, Anjali! How are you?
- अंजलि Anjaliमैं ठीक हूँ, धन्यवाद।main theek hoon, dhanyavad.I am fine, thank you.
- अमित Amitबहुत अच्छा लगा मिलकर।bahut achchha laga milkar.It was very good to see you.
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.
