What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from желаю (I wish), всего (of all) and самого наилучшего (the very best).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can shorten it to всего наилучшего to be more concise and formal, which is common in correspondence. For formal settings, you can use Желаю вам всего наилучшего (wishing you all the best) or С наилучшими пожеланиями (with best wishes) for professional or social occasions. Other formal options include Желаю успехов во всех начинаниях (wishing you success in all your endeavors) and Пусть все задуманное осуществится! (may all your plans come true!). In informal situations, you might say Пусть все задуманное сбудется! (may all your plans come true!) or Успехов и везения! (success and good luck!).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb желаю is the first-person singular form of желать, meaning the subject "I" is built into the verb itself. To specify who you are wishing well, you can add the pronoun тебе (informal) or вам (formal/plural) after the verb, as in желаю тебе всего самого наилучшего.
How do you pronounce it?
zhelayu vsego samogo nailuchshego
Did you know?
- While желаю means 'I wish', using it to wish someone 'good luck' before a performance or exam is often avoided. Instead, Russians say ни пуха ни пера, which literally means 'neither fluff nor feather'.
- In Russian, the word желать (to wish) shares an ancient root with the word for 'desire', suggesting that a 'wish' is a deep, heartfelt longing rather than just a polite social formula.
- Unlike the English 'I wish you the best' which is often met with 'you too', the social exchange for желаю всего самого наилучшего is asymmetrical. The receiver usually simply replies with спасибо ('thank you').
Examples in context
- Желаю всего самого наилучшего твоему сыну.Zhelayu vsego samogo nailuchshego tvoyemu synu.I wish your son all the best.
- Просто желаю всего самого наилучшего тебе и семье.Prosto zhelayu vsego samogo nailuchshego tebe i sem'ye.I just wish you and your family all the best.
Example conversation
Maria is saying goodbye to Dmitry, who is moving to another city.
- Мария MariaДмитрий, удачи тебе на новом месте!Dmitriy, udachi tebe na novom meste!Dmitry, good luck in the new place!
- Дмитрий DmitryСпасибо, Мария! Мне будет тебя не хватать.Spasibo, Mariya! Mne budet tebya ne khvatat.Thank you, Maria! I will miss you.
- Мария MariaЯ желаю всего самого наилучшего в твоей жизни.Ya zhelayu vsego samogo nailuchshego v tvoyey zhizni.I wish you all the best in your life.
- Дмитрий DmitryБлагодарю за добрые слова!Blagodaryu za dobrye slova!Thank you for the kind words!
