In this lesson you will learn five common Russian greetings and farewells, hear them in a short formal exchange, and choose the right expression for familiar and polite situations.
Objectives
- Recognize and use formal and informal Russian greetings.
- Recognize and use formal and informal Russian farewells.
- Choose an appropriate greeting or farewell for a given situation.
Phrases
Hello! (formal or polite)
Use with strangers, older people, or in professional settings.Hi! (informal)
Use with friends, family, or peers.Good morning!
Use in the morning.Goodbye! (formal or neutral)
Use in polite or neutral situations.Bye! (informal)
Use with people you know well.Explanations
Formal and informal greetings
Use «Здравствуйте!» as a polite greeting with strangers, older people, or in professional settings. Use «Привет!» with friends, family, or peers. «Доброе утро!» means 'Good morning' and fits the morning hours.
Formal and informal farewells
Use «До свидания!» as a polite or neutral goodbye in formal and everyday situations. Use «Пока!» with people you know well. Both are standard, and the choice depends on your relationship and the setting.
Greetings in a short exchange
In the dialogue, speaker A says «Здравствуйте, Анна Ивановна!» and speaker B replies «Здравствуй, Иван! Как дела?». The question «Как дела?» means 'How are things?' and is common in informal conversation. Speaker A answers «Хорошо, спасибо. А у вас?», where «А у вас?» means 'And you?' in the polite form.
Dialogue
Hello, Anna Ivanovna!
Hello, Ivan! How are things?
Fine, thank you. And you?
Also fine. Goodbye!
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to the recording and repeat each phrase, imitating the speaker's intonation and rhythm. Practice saying the phrases aloud until you can produce them naturally.
Common mistake
Using «Привет!» with a stranger or in a formal setting.
Use «Здравствуйте!» with strangers, older people, or in professional settings.
Practice
You meet your friend's grandmother for the first time. Greet her politely.
Choose the polite greeting you learned for someone you do not know well.
Show answer
Здравствуйте!«Здравствуйте!» is the polite greeting for a first meeting with an older person.
You see your close friend at a café. Greet them casually.
Choose the informal greeting you learned for friends.
Show answer
Привет!«Привет!» is the informal greeting used with friends.
You are leaving a formal meeting. Say goodbye politely.
Choose the polite farewell you learned for formal situations.
Show answer
До свидания!«До свидания!» is the polite farewell for a formal meeting.
Choose «Здравствуйте!» and «До свидания!» for polite situations, and «Привет!» and «Пока!» with people you know well.
Practice with Yapr
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