Home

Other contributors have said "How do you saw hello in russian?" is the same question as "What is 'Hello' in Russian?". If you believe that these are not asking the same thing and should be answered differently, click here.

What is 'Hello' in Russian?

Answer:
The Russian word "Здравствуйте!" (pronounced zdrAH-stvooy-the) is a polite/formal equivalent of "Hello" or "How do you do?" It is used to address a group, a superior or an unfamiliar person. Literally, it means "Good health to you!"

The same word can be shortened when spoken to sound like "zdrAH-stee", which is more informal and less respectful, but is accepted when said in passing. It is understood that not everybody has time to say the whole thing (see above).


An informal greeting is "Привет!" (pronounced prevyet), it is an equivalent of "Hi".

On the telephone, use "Alo".

You can also greet people by saying "Good morning /day / evening" = "DOH-bray OO-trah / DAIN / VEE-Cher" = "Доброе/ый/ый утро / день / вечер"
Related answers:
Can you answer these?