Russian Greetings: Hello, Thanks and Polite Replies
Choose Russian greetings for friends and unfamiliar adults, answer a simple introduction and practise thanks, apologies and requests to repeat.
Updated 2026-11-13
Use Здравствуйте when greeting an unfamiliar adult, and Привет with friends or people who use informal language with you. Learn the reply and the next turn too, so a greeting becomes a short exchange rather than a disconnected word.
Choose the relationship first
Russian distinguishes informal ты from polite or plural вы. A greeting can signal the same relationship. Здравствуйте is a useful starting choice in a shop, at reception or when addressing an adult you do not know. Привет is suitable among friends and in other informal settings.
Do not decide solely from the English translation “hello.” Notice the situation and follow how the other person addresses you. If you are unsure, a polite opening gives you room to continue respectfully. Switching to informal forms can happen later when the relationship or conversation makes it appropriate.
Keep a small greeting table
| Russian | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Здравствуйте | Hello | Polite greeting |
| Привет | Hi | Informal greeting |
| Доброе утро | Good morning | Morning |
| Добрый день | Good afternoon / good day | Daytime |
| Добрый вечер | Good evening | Evening |
| До свидания | Goodbye | Polite or general farewell |
| Пока | Bye | Informal farewell |
Listen to each complete expression. Здравствуйте contains a consonant sequence that is difficult to predict from an English spelling approximation. Break the recording into manageable portions, then reconnect them. A Latin transcription may help you locate a phrase, but it should not replace the Cyrillic form and audio.
Practise an introduction with an answer
A basic exchange is Здравствуйте. Меня зовут Анна. — Очень приятно. The first speaker says hello and gives a name; the second responds “Nice to meet you.” To ask politely for a name, use Как вас зовут? The informal version is Как тебя зовут?
Keep the question and its appropriate response together. Меня зовут… is a fixed introduction pattern worth learning as a whole at the beginning. Trying to translate every component into an English-style “I am called” structure can slow down a simple social exchange. Replace the name only after the phrase is comfortable.
Add thanks and a small request
Спасибо means “thank you,” while Пожалуйста can mean “please” or “you are welcome,” depending on context. Practise it in both positions: Спасибо. — Пожалуйста, and Повторите, пожалуйста, meaning “Please repeat.” The conversational role explains the meaning more clearly than a single dictionary gloss.
Извините is useful for a polite apology or getting attention. Pair it with a clear request rather than saying it repeatedly without explaining what you need. For an early listening fallback, learn Я не понимаю, “I do not understand,” and Говорите медленнее, пожалуйста, “Speak more slowly, please.”
Rehearse the next turn
Imagine arriving at a reception desk. Greet the person politely, give your name and listen for a question. If you do not understand, ask for repetition. End with thanks and a farewell. This small sequence is more realistic than reciting every greeting in a list without a listener.
Change the situation to meeting a friend and replace the opening with Привет and the farewell with Пока. Keep the rest simple. The exercise makes register visible: you are choosing language for a relationship, not ranking one greeting as universally correct and another as always wrong.
Test understanding without the script
Record the two roles separately or ask a partner to read one side. Respond after hearing the line, then check the text. If you can respond only while staring at the translation, return to the audio and practise recognition before adding more expressions.
Avoid promising yourself that a handful of phrases will cover every encounter. They create a useful opening and a way to repair misunderstanding. A successful beginner exchange may be short: a suitable greeting, an understood name, a request to repeat and a courteous ending all count as meaningful practice.
Where to play
Jigu Russian offers 40 scripted everyday dialogues on HarmonyOS, alongside vocabulary with pictures and audio. Its explanations are in Simplified Chinese. Use dialogue practice to connect listening with choosing a reply after studying these greeting patterns.