નમસ્તે
namaste/ˈnə.məs.t̪eː/
નમસ્તે (namaste) is the Gujarati word for the English greeting "namaste".
નમસ્તે is a common and respectful way to greet someone, and it can also be used as a way to say goodbye.
Meaning: a greeting (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of namas (bow or salutation) and te (to you).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While widely used, નમસ્તે is a formal and respectful greeting. It is more formal than casual Gujarati greetings such as Kem cho?, which translates to "How are you?" or "What's up?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
Additionally, the traditional greeting Jay Shri Krishna (meaning "Hail Lord Krishna") is commonly used as a salutation in Kutch.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is [ˈnə.məs.t̪eː]. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
The greeting is often accompanied by the anjali mudra, where the palms are pressed together at the chest accompanied by a slight bow.
Did you know?
- In many Gujarati households, નમસ્તે is replaced by touching the feet of an elder as a physical manifestation of the 'bow' implied by the word.
- The 'anjali mudra' gesture accompanying નમસ્તે is intended to symbolize the meeting of the two hemispheres of the brain and the unification of the self with the other.
- The word નમસ્તે is actually a linguistic transplant from Sanskrit that has been preserved in Gujarati through centuries of cultural continuity.
Examples in context
- તેણે મને નમસ્તે કહ્યું.tene mane namaste kahyu.He said namaste to me.
- નમસ્તે, તમે કેમ છો?namaste, tame kem cho?Namaste, how are you?
- સવારે નમસ્તે કહેવું જોઈએ.savare namaste kahevu joie.One should say namaste in the morning.
Example conversation
Hardik meets Drishti in a park.
- હાર્દિક Hardikનમસ્તે, દ્રષ્ટિ!namaste, drishti!Namaste, Drishti!
- દ્રષ્ટિ Drishtiનમસ્તે, હાર્દિક! કેમ છો?namaste, hardik! kem cho?Namaste, Hardik! How are you?
- હાર્દિક Hardikહું મજામાં છું, આભાર.hu majama chu, aabhar.I am fine, thank you.
- દ્રષ્ટિ Drishtiતે જાણીને આનંદ થયો.te janine aanand thayo.I am happy to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “namaste” translations and entries નમસ્તે, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries નમસ્તે, CC BY-SA 4.0.
