PHRASEBOOK · A SLOVO GUIDE
How to Say Hello in Russian: Greetings With Audio
The standard way to say hello in Russian is Здра́вствуйте (ZDRAST-vooy-tye). It is polite and safe with anyone you do not know well, and with a group. With friends and family, say Приве́т (pree-VYET). You can also greet by time of day with До́брое у́тро, До́брый день, or До́брый ве́чер.
Formal and informal hello
Russian has a polite greeting and a friendly one, and the choice follows the same line as вы (polite or plural “you”) and ты (informal “you”). When you are not sure which one fits, choose the polite form. Nobody minds being greeted politely; an overly casual hello to a stranger can sound abrupt.
| Russian | Say it | Meaning | When to use it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Здра́вствуйте | ZDRAST-vooy-tye | Hello (polite) | Strangers, older people, teachers, colleagues, shop staff, and any group | |
| Здра́вствуй | ZDRAST-vooy | Hello (informal) | One person you address as ты; less common among friends than привет | |
| Приве́т | pree-VYET | Hi | Friends, family, classmates, people your age in casual settings | |
| Алло́ | a-LO | Hello? (on the phone) | Answering a call, then continue with a normal greeting |
The first в in здра́вствуйте is not pronounced in everyday speech, which is why the word sounds shorter than it looks. Practice it in two chunks, здра́ст- and -вуйте, then join them. If the spelling is still new, the Russian alphabet guide covers each letter with audio.
Greetings by time of day
Time-of-day greetings are polite, friendly, and a little easier to pronounce than здра́вствуйте. They work in shops, offices, emails, and with neighbours.
| Russian | Say it | Meaning | When to use it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| До́брое у́тро | DOH-bra-ye OO-tra | Good morning | Until late morning | |
| До́брый день | DOH-bryy dyen’ | Good afternoon; good day | From late morning through the afternoon | |
| До́брый ве́чер | DOH-bryy VYE-cher | Good evening | From early evening |
Notice the endings: у́тро is a neuter noun, so it takes до́брое, while день and ве́чер are masculine and take до́брый. You do not need the grammar to use the phrases, but it explains why they look different. Russian does not use “good night” as a greeting; Споко́йной но́чи means good night when someone is going to sleep.
How to answer “How are you?”
Как дела́? (kak dee-LA) means “How are things?” Friends and acquaintances ask it after saying hello, and they usually expect a short real answer. It is not a passing greeting for strangers, the way “How are you?” often is in English. With someone you address as вы, ask Как у вас дела́?
| Russian | Say it | Meaning | When to use it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Хорошо́, спаси́бо. | kha-ra-SHO, spa-SEE-ba | Fine, thank you. | A safe, friendly answer | |
| Норма́льно. | nar-MAL’-na | Okay; all right. | Casual and very common | |
| А у тебя́? | a oo tee-BYA | And you? (informal) | Turn the question back to a friend | |
| А у вас? | a oo VAS | And you? (polite) | Turn the question back politely |
— Приве́т! Как дела́?
— Хорошо́, спаси́бо. А у тебя́?
— Норма́льно.
— Hi! How are things?
— Fine, thanks. And you?
— All right.
Saying goodbye
| Russian | Say it | Meaning | When to use it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| До свида́ния | da svee-DA-nee-ya | Goodbye (polite) | The polite partner of здравствуйте | |
| Пока́ | pa-KA | Bye | Friends and family | |
| До за́втра | da ZAF-tra | See you tomorrow | When you will meet again tomorrow |
Greetings and goodbyes come in pairs: if you opened with здра́вствуйте, close with до свида́ния; if you said приве́т, say пока́. For more phrases you can use straight after hello, see 50 everyday Russian phrases.
Common questions
Is Привет rude?
Not with friends, family, or people your age in casual settings. With strangers, older people, teachers, or at work, start with Здравствуйте and switch to Привет when the other person does.
Why is the first в in Здравствуйте silent?
In everyday speech the first в is dropped, so the word sounds roughly like ZDRAST-vooy-tye. Listen to the audio and say it in two chunks before joining them.
Can I say Добрый день instead of Здравствуйте?
Yes. Добрый день is polite and works from late morning through the afternoon in shops, offices, and emails. It is a good choice if Здравствуйте still feels hard to pronounce.
These guides are published by Slovo, the maker of the app. Learning examples are educational aids; English sound guides are approximate. Read our editorial approach or report a correction.