Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| здра́вствуйте | zdrávstvujte | formal |
| приве́т | privét | informal |
| здоро́во | zdoróvo | colloquial |
| до́брый день | dóbryj denʹ | |
| здра́вствуй | zdrávstvuj | informal |
| салю́т | saljút |
You can use здра́вствуйте to express a standard formal hello, or до́брый день to say 'good day' in a polite, time-neutral manner. For casual settings, приве́т is the standard way to say 'hi', while салю́т serves as another greeting option.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal greeting здра́вствуйте is literally an imperative meaning 'be healthy'.
Which one should you use?
While приве́т is a standard informal way to say 'hi', здра́вствуйте is the required formal way to address strangers, teachers or elders. For a very casual and slangy greeting, здоро́во is used, which is a masculine-coded term often heard between close male friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Здра́вствуйте and до́брый день are formal options. Приве́т is informal and widely used in casual conversations. Здоро́во is a highly colloquial, slangy greeting and салю́т is also a casual greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal form здра́вствуй is the singular imperative version of the formal здра́вствуйте.
How do you pronounce it?
zdrávstvujte
Did you know?
- The word салю́т is a loanword from French, originally referring to a 'salute' or a firework display, which gives it a celebratory feel.
- The word день for 'day' is a cognate of the Sanskrit word dina, showing a deep linguistic link between Russian and ancient Indian languages.
- The formal greeting здра́вствуйте is so long and consonant-heavy that Russian speakers often drop the first 'в' sound when speaking quickly.
Examples in context
- Здравствуйте, меня зовут Анна.Hello, my name is Anna.
- Добрый день, как вас зовут?Good day, what is your name?
- Здравствуй, Алексей! Как твои дела?Hi, Alexey! How are you doing?
- Привет, Наташа! Как дела?Hi, Natasha! How are you?
- Приветствую всех на нашей встрече!Greetings to everyone at our meeting!
- Ну привет! Как жизнь, что нового?Well, hello! How's life, what's new?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries день, CC BY-SA 4.0.
