Russian Hello

One way to say Hello in the Russian lanuage: The first way to say is… Здравствуйте! This is pronounced “ZDRAST-vui-tyeh.” This is the Russian formal hello. You would say здравствуйте to:

1) Any adult you don’t know.

2) Anyone older than you who is NOT a relative.

3) Sometimes even to older relatives.

4) To your boss, even if he is younger than you.

5) To people who work in stores and shops, etc.

Russian for Hello Part 2

The second way to say Hello is… Здравствуй! (ZDRAST-vui) You would say zdrastvui to…
1) A child.

2) Your brother or sister.

3) Your friend. (To more than one friend, or any group of people, you must use zdrastvuityeh.)

4) Your girlfriend or wife, boyfriend or husband.

You only say zdrastvuityeh and zdrastvui to someone ONCE per day. After that, if you see the person again, even after a few hours, you would simply say nothing and smile, or, Ещё раз здравствуй(те). [Sounds like “yisho raz zdrastvui(teh).”] This means, “Once again, Hello.”

So, are you ready for your Final Exam? What should you say to this person?

Russian Hello for older woman

The answer is: Здравствуйте! / Zdrastvuiteh!

And to this person?

Hello in Russian to younger person

Здравствуй! / Zdrastvuiteh

That’s all you need to know about Hello in Russian…so…

…GOODBYE!

Don’t forget to listen to the video a few times to get down the correct way to pronounce it as well.

The Russian way to say Hello,  is not the only expression you will hear around here. No site on Russian greetings would be complete without teaching how to say: Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. These are the equivalent of Russian hello, but are used at different times of day.

The word “good” in Russian is “dobri”, but, adjectives (like “good”) have to change to agree with the noun (like “moring or day).
A lot of the times this means the words have to rhyme, but not always. Anyway, that’s why you’ll see two versions of the word “dobri” in these phrases.

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Let’s learn the right way to say hello to a Russian woman.  Many older people might recall pictures of old Soviet politicians greeting each other with a kiss on the cheek. That might indeed be how Soviets greeted each other long ago, but not now! When meeting a Russian man, whether it’s the first time ever, or just the first time that day, a firm handshake and a “zdrastvuitye” is the most appropriate.

But more importantly, Russian for hello is different for men and how they should greet a Russian woman, especially for the first time. If the woman is just a friend — say, your fiance’s college friend — you can hug and or give her a peck on the cheek. (But not too much. Russian women are quick to jealousy!) But if this is a woman you’ve been corresponding with, with serious intentions between you, then you need to greet her with a warm hug and a kiss on the lips. Nothing too passionate. Quick and manly. (more…)

Greetings and in particular hello in the Russian language can be difficult for English speakers, especially the most common one of all: Zdrastvuityeh! This greeting is eleven letters long. But here’s what most people don’t know: Most Russians cheat when they pronounce it! It’s true. If you listen, what they usually say is this:

Zdrastyeh.

Well, that’s a lot simpler, isn’t it? I only count two syllables instead of three, so I guess that makes it exactly 33% shorter.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way to cheat “Good morning,” which is “Dobroe utro.” Let’s pronounce that really slowly:

Doh – bri – yuh u – truh

Yes, that second syllable is “bri” (rhymes with ‘cry’). And of course, don’t forget to roll your “r”s in Russian. To do that, it helps to say the word “udder”. see how you tongue bounces off the roof of your mouth? (You did say it out loud, right?) “Udder”. There’s your rolled Russian “r”.

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