Russian Greetings: 65 Different Ways To Say Hello In Russian
Russian Greetings: 65 Different Ways To Say Hello In Russian
Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn an affiliate commission if you click and/or make a purchase through the link (at no extra cost to you). And of course, I only recommend products I’ve used from companies I completely trust and love. For more information please see my disclosure.
How Do You Greet A Russian?
Do you want to learn how to greet someone in Russian? Do you want to learn how to say "hello" in Russian?
Are you looking for ways to deepen your understanding of the Russian language and make a good first impression during conversations? Don’t worry – learning how to say ‘Hello’ in different contexts is an excellent start!
Whether it's meeting someone new or making new friends, it's important to know the right words and expressions.
Russians have many different ways of saying hello depending on the situation, ranging from formal to informal phrases. This comprehensive list will guide you through mastering the different kinds of Russian greetings!
As we all know, learning a new language can be daunting, but having plenty of options of how to say hello is a great way to get yourself feeling confident and off to the right start!
In this article, we'll explore 65 different ways of greeting someone in Russian so that you can pick the right one depending on whom you are speaking with.
We'll cover topics such as what words are used for formal & informal greetings, cultural nuances of these greetings, and tips for pronunciation. Finally, we'll discuss how learners can become familiar with the language and its pronunciation through resources like the Pimsleur app. So let's get started!
Why Spend Time Learning A Variety Of Russian Greetings?
Learning to greet people in different ways is an important part of learning a language, as it will help you make more meaningful connections with the locals.
Greetings can be an integral part of any language, and the Russian language is no exception. Greeting someone in their native language is a sign of respect and an essential part of building meaningful relationships.
In Russia, the greetings that people use vary depending on the situation, context, and relationship between speaker and listener. A variety of greetings are used in Russia to express different forms of politeness, respect or familiarity for a given situation.
Learning about these different Russian greetings can help you develop relationships with Russians – whether you're studying abroad, at school or in business meetings - making it easier to communicate your thoughts and feelings.
From formal greetings to informal ones, from long-time acquaintances to strangers - Russians have a range of expressions they use when saying “hello”. They will help you sound more natural when speaking Russian.
It’s also important to know when and how to use them, especially if you’re in a professional setting or need to be polite. Understanding Russian greetings can help you learn more about the culture.
So let's dive into 65 different ways of saying hello in Russian!
65 Basic Russian Greetings: How To Say Hi In Russian
1. Hello - Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte) It’s a nice gesture to address someone politely with manners. In Russian, you can say Zdrastvuyte to greet someone who is older than you or in an esteemed position. Formal
2. Hello - Здравствуй (Zdravstvuy) Don’t confuse it with the previous one. This is a much less formal greeting and is usually addressed to younger people or people of the same age, who are not close friends. Informal
3. Hello - Здрасьте (Zdras'te) Informal
4. Hello - Привет (Privet) Use this word when addressing your friends, family members (unless they are your in-laws), and children. Informal
5. Hello - приветики (privetiki); Hi - Приветик (Privetik) These greetings are formed from the basic Привет (privet) - “Hi” and are used by girls when trying to be cute. Guys rarely use them, but when they do they mean to flirt. Informal
6. Hello - Алло (Allo) Is the Russian word for “Hello” when answering the phone in Russian in both formal and informal situations. However, if you want to be even more official and respectful—e.g. to a higher-ranked person—use Да, здравствуйте (Da, zdravstvuyte) which means “Yes, hello.”
7. “Hello” in the Military way - Здравия желаю (Zdraviya zhelayu)
8. “Hello Friend - Привет, товарищ (Privet, tovarishch)
9. Hello everyone - Всем привет (Vsem privet)
10. Hello Beautiful - Привет, красотка (Privet, krasotka)
11. Hi Handsome - Привет, красавчик (Privet, krasavchik)
12. Hi - Привет (Privet) informal
13. Hi There - Всем привет (Vsem privet)
14. Hey - Привет (Privet) informal
15. Hey - Эй (Ey)
16. Howdy - привет (Privet) informal / Здорово (Zdorovo) formal
17. Ciao - Привет (Privet) informal / Чао (Chao) formal
18. Yo - Йо (Yo)
19. What’s up? - Как жизнь (Kak zhizn')
20. What's going on?/What's happening? - Что происходит (Chto proiskhodit)
21. Greetings - Приветствую (Privetstvuyu) informal / приветствия (Privetstviya) formal
22. Good Day - Добрый день (Dobryy den') informal / Доброго времени суток (Dobrogo vremeni sutok) formal
23. What’s your name? - Как тебя зовут (Kak tebya zovut) informal / Как Вас зовут (Kak Vas zovut) formal
24. What do they call you? - Как они тебя называют (Kak oni tebya nazyvayut)
25. My name is… - Меня зовут… (Menya zovut)
26. Nice to meet you - Приятно встретить тебя (Priyatno vstretit' tebya) informal / Приятно познакомиться (Priyatno poznakomit'sya) formal
27. Pleased to meet you - Рад встрече с вами (Rad vstreche s vami)
28. Glad to meet you - Рад встрече (Rad vstreche)
29. I’m glad to see you/Good to see you - Рад тебя видеть (Rad tebya videt')
30. Great to see you - Рад увидеть тебя (Rad uvidet' tebya)
31. Nice to see you - Рад вас видеть (Rad vas videt')
32. Nice to see you again - Приятно видеть тебя снова (Priyatno videt' tebya snova)
33. Time to see you - Раз тебя видеть (Raz tebya videt')
34. Good Morning - Доброе утро (Dobroye utro)
35. Good Afternoon - Добрый день (Dobryy den')
36. Good Evening – Добрый вечер (Dobryy vecher)
37. Good Night - Доброй ночи (dobroy nochi) informal / Спокойной ночи (Spokoynoy nochi) formal
38. Welcome - Добро пожаловать (Dobro pozhalovat') Congratulate someone with their arrival in Russia. This is rarely used in everyday life. But it’s often used on TV shows or official events to greet guests. So, if you’re wondering “How do you say ‘Welcome to Russia’ in Russian?” then the answer is Добро пожаловать в Россию (Dobro pozhalovat`v Rossiyu).
39. Welcome - С приездом (S priyezdom) - It’s used when the person just arrived somewhere.
40. Welcome - С прилётом (S prilotom) This one is used when the person just arrived somewhere by plane. Upon arrival.
41. Welcome Home - Добро пожаловать домой (Dobro pozhalovat' domoy)
42. Long time no see - Давненько не виделись (Davnen'ko ne videlis') informal / Сколько лет, сколько зим (Skol'ko let, skol'ko zim) formal / давно не виделись (Davno ne videlis') neutral
43. Haven’t seen each other for a hundred years - Сто лет не виделись (Sto let ne videlis') informal
44. Look who it is - посмотри кто это (posmotri kto eto) informal / Смотри, кто это (Smotri, kto eto) formal
45. Look what the cat dragged in - Смотри, что притащил кот (Smotri, chto pritashchil kot)
46. Let’s get acquainted - Давайте познакомимся (davayte poznakomimsya)
47. How are you - Чё, как - (Cho, kak)
48. How are you?/How are things?/How do you do? - Как дела (kak dela) formal
49. How are you? - Как у тебя дела (Kak u tebya dela) informal / Как Ваши дела (Kak Vashi dela) formal
50. How are you doing?/How have you been? - как твои дела (kak tvoi dela) informal
51. How are you doing today? - Как у тебя сегодня дела (Kak u tebya segodnya dela)
52. How you been? - Как поживаешь (Kak pozhivayesh') informal / Как поживаете (Kak pozhivayete) formal
53. How are you feeling today? - Как самочувствие сегодня (Kak samochuvstviye segodnya)
54. How's everything? - Как все (Kak vse)
55. How is it? - Как оно? (Kak ono?)
56. What’s new? - Что но́вого? (Chto nóvogo)
57. What have you been up to? - что ты делал все это время (chto ty delal vse eto vremya)
58. How are things at work? - как дела на работе? (kak dela na rabote)
59. Make yourself at home - Чувствуй себя как дома (Chuvstvuy sebya kak doma) informal / Чувствуйте себя как дома (Chuvstvuyte sebya kak doma) formal
60. Make yourself comfortable - Располагайся (Raspolagaysya) informal / Располагайтесь (Raspolagaytes') formal
61. Peace be with you - Мир вам (Mir vam) This greeting is basically used by churchmen and religious people, and also comes from the old times.
62. Our respect to you - Наше вам почтение (Nashe vam pochteniye) This is yet another Russian greeting that comes from old times. Nowadays, it may be used by old people.
63. Excuse me/I beg your pardon/Pardon me - Прошу прощения (Proshu proshcheniya)
64. May I ask who’s calling?/Who’s speaking? - Кто говорит? (Kto govorit)
65. My regards - Мое почтение (Moye pochteniye)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you greet someone in Russia?
The most common way to greet someone in Russia is by saying Привет (Privet). It can be used both formally and informally.
Other popular ways to say “hello” include Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte) for formal greetings and Добрый день (Dobryy den') for casual greetings. There are many other ways to say “hello” in Russian, depending on the context and situation.
What is the most formal way to greet someone in Russian?
The most formal way to greet someone in Russian is by saying Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte). This expression can be used for both strangers and people you know. It's also frequently used on TV shows and official events to greet guests.
How do you greet a Russian girl?
When greeting a Russian girl, it's important to remember to be polite and respectful. The most common way of greeting a Russian girl is by saying Привет (Privet).
This can be used for both formal and informal settings. It's also appropriate to say Рад тебя видеть (Rad tebya videt') or Давно не виделись (Davno ne videlis'). For more formal settings, it's appropriate to say Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte) or Добрый день (Dobryy den').
What is a popular Russian saying?
A popular Russian saying is Доброе утро (Dobroye utro), which translates to “good morning”. This phrase can be used as a greeting in the morning or as an expression of good wishes to someone when they are starting the day.
Other phrases like Добрый день (Dobryy den') for “good day” and Добрый вечер (Dobryy vecher) for “good evening'' are also popular among Russians.
What is the most common greeting in Russian?
The most common greeting in Russian is Привет (Privet).
How do Russians greet for the first time?
When greeting someone for the first time, Russians tend to be very formal. The most common way of greeting someone is by saying Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte). This expression can also be used when talking to people you know as a sign of respect.
How do you politely address someone in Russian?
When addressing someone in Russian, it's important to use polite and respectful language. The most common way of politely addressing someone is by using their name or title Mr. - господин (gospodin) or Mrs. - госпожа (gospozha), followed by Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte).
This expression can be used for both formal and informal situations. For more casual conversations, Привет (Privet) can be used instead.
How do you greet someone in Russian on the phone?
When greeting someone on the phone in Russian, it's appropriate to say Алло (Allo). It's the Russian word for “Hello” when answering the phone in Russian in both formal and informal situations.
However, if you want to be even more official and respectful—e.g. to a higher-ranked person—use Да, здравствуйте (Da, zdravstvuyte) which means “Yes, hello.”
Learn Russian With Pimsleur Today!
It can be difficult and time-consuming to learn the Russian language from scratch. One way to make it easier is by using a language learning app like Pimsleur. Pimsleur is one of the best ways to learn Russian quickly and effectively.
Pimsleur focuses on teaching you through engaging audio lessons using the spaced-repetition method. Learning with this approach teaches you how to retain what you learn and the ability to learn at your own pace.
RELATED: Pimsleur Review: How To Learn Any Language With This Super Easy Method.
The lessons are designed in such a way that users can easily transition into conversational Russian even without any prior knowledge of the language. Plus, the Pimsleur app includes pronunciation tips using their voice coach feature – making it even easier to learn how to speak Russian.
If you want to get started quickly with Pimsleur, consider signing up for the 7-Day FREE Trial. Level 1 includes 30 lessons which will give you a solid foundation in the language and help you understand the basics of Russian pronunciation.
Conclusion
Now that you know 65 different ways to say hi in Russian, ranging from formal to informal, as well as some of the nuances behind when each greeting is appropriate, you’re ready to start using them yourself.
Whether you’re traveling to Russia for business or pleasure, it’s important to know some basic Russian greetings. By taking the time to learn a few key phrases, you’ll show your respect for Russian culture and make a good impression on the people you meet.
Why not try out a few greetings next time you meet a Russian speaker? Soon enough, you might find yourself confidently chatting away with native Russian speakers without even thinking about it.
And if you want to take your Russian language skills to the next level, be sure to check out Pimsleur’s 30-minute audio lessons – they make learning Russian fast and easy, wherever you are.
A TINY REQUEST: IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, PLEASE SHARE THIS?
Ready to have some fun learning a new language? Then take action on what you just learned - you’ll be glad you did! Be a good friend and share this post on social media.
Also, share this post with anyone you know who’s looking to learn a foreign language! Just think how good you’ll feel when your friends thank you for bringing them insight and some surprising discoveries about language learning!
I know most people don’t share because they feel that us bloggers don’t need their “tiny” social share. But here’s the truth…
I built this blog piece by piece, one small share at a time, and will continue to do so. So thank you so much for your support, my reader.
A share from you would seriously help a lot with the growth of this blog.
Some great suggestions:
Pin it! (I even made a pretty pin for ya!)
Share it to Facebook
Tweet it!
Flip it on Flipboard
It won’t take more than 10 seconds of your time. The share buttons are right here.:)
Thank you so much!
Question:
So, here’s the question: What’s your favorite Russian greeting? Was there any Russian greeting on this list that I missed? Let us know in the comments section down below!
P.S. I want to hear from you today. No for real, get out from behind that keyboard and tell us more about yourself! Use the comment section down below and introduce yourself.
Hey, I’m Mara.
I am the founder and blogger of Sololingual helping anyone at any age, from any place, who wants to learn a new language. You can learn how to reach fluency in your chosen language fast, fun and easily studying a short amount each day and spending very little money using different language learning techniques, programs and resources at your disposal. Fluency isn't difficult to achieve. In fact, it’s easy when you find a solid method that walks you through every step of the way, and believing in yourself so that you can achieve your goal at becoming fluent in any language.
