नमस्कार
namaskārrespectful greeting, India
In Hindi, "namaskar" is written नमस्कार (namaskār). It is a respectful greeting for "hello" and sometimes "goodbye". It is also called नमस्ते (namaste).
Meaning: respectful greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| नमस्कार | namaskār | respectful greeting, India |
| नमस्ते | namaste | everyday greeting |
People say it with the palms pressed together in front of the chest. The shorter, everyday word is नमस्ते (namaste), which has the same root and use.
What does it mean word for word?
The word joins नमस् (namas), "bow", and कार (kār), "act", so it literally means the act of bowing to someone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word is also used in Marathi and other languages of India, where it is a common greeting, so spelling and use are not limited to Hindi.
How do you pronounce it?
It sounds like "nuh-mus-KAAR", with the stress on the last part.
Did you know?
- The suffix जी (jī) after a name, as in शर्मा जी (Sharmā jī), adds respect and goes naturally with नमस्कार (namaskār).
Examples in context
- नमस्कार, आप कैसे हैं?namaskār, āp kaise haiṁ?Greetings, how are you?
- सबको मेरा नमस्कार।sabko merā namaskār.My greetings to everyone.
- नमस्ते, कैसे हो?namaste, kaise ho?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Teacher Mr. Sharma greets a guest, Ms. Gupta, at a school in Lucknow.
- Mr. Sharmaनमस्कार, गुप्ता जी।namaskār, Guptā jī.Greetings, Ms. Gupta.
- Ms. Guptaनमस्कार, शर्मा जी। आप कैसे हैं?namaskār, Sharmā jī. āp kaise haiṁ?Greetings, Mr. Sharma. How are you?
- Mr. Sharmaमैं ठीक हूँ, धन्यवाद।maiṁ ṭhīk hūṁ, dhanyavād.I am fine, thank you.
