If you don’t know how to roll your “R"s, you may want to practice. Place your tongue to the back of your upper teeth and vibrate it as you make the R sound. Zdravstvujtye is also used to greet a group of people, even if you’re talking to a group of children, or to friends and family. Shorten your greeting to zdravstvuj (zdrah-stvooy) if you’re greeting friends, family members, or children.
Privetik (pree-vyet-ick) is an even less formal, almost cutesy way of saying “hi,” more typically used by young women.
Dobroye utro! (dohb-ruh-ee oo-truh) means “good morning!” Use it until around noon. After noon, switch to dobryj dyen’! (dohb-rihy dyen’) This means “good afternoon,” but can be used most of the day, except early in the morning or late at night. Later in the evening, use dobryj vyechyer! (dohb–rihy vye-cheer) to say “good evening. "
In a more formal setting, ask Kak vy pozhivayetye? (kahk vih puh-zhih-vah-ee-tee). This is appropriate when talking to someone you just met, especially if they are older than you or in a position of authority.
In a more formal setting, ask Kak vy pozhivayetye? (kahk vih puh-zhih-vah-ee-tee). This is appropriate when talking to someone you just met, especially if they are older than you or in a position of authority.
If the other person asks you how you’re doing first, follow your answer with A u vas? (ah oo vahs; formal) or A u tyebya? (ah oo tee-bya; informal), both of which mean “And you?”
If the other person asks you how you’re doing first, follow your answer with A u vas? (ah oo vahs; formal) or A u tyebya? (ah oo tee-bya; informal), both of which mean “And you?”
Use the phrase mózhno prósto (mozh-neh pro-steh) to let the person know what you prefer to be called. This phrase translates to “You can just call me. " For example, you might say “Menya zavut Alexander Hamilton. Mózhno prósto Alex. "
To ask where the other person is from, use the question otkuda vy if speaking formally, or otkuda ty if speaking informally.
Vy ne mogli by govorit’ pomedlennee? is the formal way to ask someone if they could please speak more slowly. You can also say povtorite, požalujsta, which means “please say that again. " If you’re having a really hard time, you might ask “Vy govorite po-angliyski?” which means “Do you speak English?”
Pozhaluysta (pah-zhah-luh-stuh) means “please. " Spasibo (spuh-see-buh) means “thank you. " The response to “thank you” is ne za chto (nyeh-zuh-shtoh), which literally means “it’s nothing. " Izvinite (ezz-vee-neet-yeh) means “excuse me. " Prostite (prah-steet-yeh) means “I’m sorry. " As in English, you can also use this instead of “excuse me,” when begging someone’s pardon.
In an informal context, you can also say do vstretchi (duh vstrie-chi). It means virtually the same thing, but is only appropriate when taking your leave from family or friends.
If you’re on the phone, you might use dovay (da-vaj) instead. It literally translates to something like “let’s,” but is frequently used to as a casual, informal “bye” to end a phone conversation.
Dobroy nochi (dob-raj noh-chee) means “good night. " However, unlike the other greetings related to the time of the day, it isn’t used as a greeting, only when taking your leave. This phrase doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to bed. Use it later in the evening. Spokojnoj nochi (spah-kohy-nuhy noh-chee) also means “good night. " This phrase is appropriate if you are turning in for the evening, or going to bed. As with the other greetings related to the time of day, you can use it when speaking formally or informally.
