здорово
zdorovo
The Russian word for howdy is здорово (zdorovo).
здорово is used as an informal greeting to say hello to someone. Depending on the context and the intonation used, the word can also function as an adverb meaning 'great' or 'cool'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
здорово is an informal greeting intended for use among friends or peers. For more common and versatile greetings, you might use Здравствуйте or for standard informal situations, the go-to word is Привет. If you wish to use a formal-sounding variation of Привет humorously among close acquaintances, you can use Приветствую. Regarding time-specific greetings, Добрый день (good day) is used during the daytime until around 6 PM, while Добрый вечер (good evening) is used as a formal way to say hello after 6 PM.
How do you pronounce it?
zdorovo
Did you know?
- The greeting здорово is derived from the Russian word for 'healthy'. By saying it, you are essentially wishing the other person robust health.
- In some contexts, saying здорово can sound like a masculine-coded way of speaking, often used by men in close-knit groups.
- Using здорово with a certain downward intonation can actually sound dismissive or rude rather than friendly.
Examples in context
- Привет, как дела?Hi, how are you?
- Здорово, мужики!Zdorovo, muzhiki!Howdy, guys!
- Здорово, как дела?Zdorovo, kak dela?Howdy, how are things?
- Эй, здорово!Ey, zdorovo!Hey, howdy!
Example conversation
Two old friends bump into each other on the street.
- Александр AleksandrЗдорово, Мария!Zdorovo, Mariya!Howdy, Maria!
- Мария MariaПривет, Александр. Как жизнь?Privet, Aleksandr. Kak zhizn?Hi, Alexander. How is life?
- Александр AleksandrДа всё отлично.Da vsyo otlichno.Everything is great.
- Мария MariaРада за тебя.Rada za tebya.I'm happy for you.
