Hello! And How Are You? In Russian - Basic Russian Greetings - Audio

Lesson 002Hello! and How are you? in Russian

This is another vocabulary lesson and today we’ll learn some useful Russian phrases. From one of our previous lessons you have already learned a couple of Russian greetings. Today we’ll cover them in details and learn the most common ways to say hello in Russian in formal and informal situations.

In most languages, the standard hello formula usually includes not only hello itself, but also how are you?. To return the greeting you usually say I’m fine, thank you, how are you?.

In Russian, unlike in English, these phrases depend on who you talk to (whether your greeting is formal or informal).

Listen to the audio and repeat after it.

Informal Russian greetings

The most simple and straightforward way to say hello in Russian is приве́т. It is an informal greeting and you can also use it as hi or hey:

Приве́т. [pree-vyét] Hi. / Hey. / Hello.

How are you? in Russian is:

Как дела́? [kak dee-lá] How are you? How are you doing? (lit. – How are the things?)

The phrase above can be used both in formal and informal situations.

And the next phrase is only appropriate for informal situations as it includes the informal pronoun ты (in the Genitive case):

Как твои́ дела́? [kak tva-ée dee-lá] How are you? (lit. – How are your things?)

There are also other way to ask how are you? in Russian:

Как жизнь? [kak zheezn’] How are you? (lit. – How is the life?)

Что но́венького? [chto nó-veen’-ka-va] What’s new? What’s up?

To reply and to return the question, use the following phrases:

Отли́чно, как у тебя́? [at-léech-na, kak u tee-byá] Excellent, how are you?

А ты как? [a ty kak] And you?

А твои́ как? [a tva-ée kak] And you?

А как у тебя́? [a kak u tee-byá] And you?

Formal Russian greetings

Now let’s look at the formal situations. Formal hello in Russian is:

Здра́вствуйте. [zdrást-vuî-tye] Good morning (afternoon, evening).

You can always replace hello with wishing people a good time of the day:

До́брое у́тро. [dób-ra-ye út-ra] Good morning.

До́брый день. [dób-ryî dyen’] Good day / afternoon.

До́брый ве́чер. [dób-ryî vyé-chyer] Good evening.

To ask how are you? and to return the question in formal situations use these phrases:

Как ва́ши дела́? [kak vá-shee dee-lá] How are you?

Спаси́бо, хорошо́. Как у вас? [spa-sée-ba, ha-ra-shó. kak u vas?] Fine, thank you. How about you?

А как ва́ши (дела)? [a kak vá-shee] And how about you?

А вы как? [a vy kak] And you?

Рад вас ви́деть. [rat vas vée-deet’] Nice to see you. (said by a man)

Ра́да вас ви́деть. [rá-da vas vée-deet’] Nice to see you. (said by a woman)

Good for both cases

Regardless of who you are talking to, you answer to how are you? can be one of these:

Спаси́бо, хорошо́. [spa-sée-ba ha-ra-shó] Fine, thank you.

Спаси́бо, непло́хо. [spa-sée-ba nee-pló-ha] Not bad, thank you.

Норма́льно. [nar-mál’-na] Okay.

Как обы́чно. [kak a-bých-na] As usual.

Всё в поря́дке, спаси́бо. [fsyó v pa-ryát-kye, spa-sée-ba] Everything is good, thank you.

Ничего́ осо́бенного. [nee-chee-vó a-só-been-na-va] Nothing special.

Так себе́. [tak see-byé] So so.

Не о́чень. [nee o-cheen’] Not very well.

Пло́хо. [pló-ha] Bad.

Отли́чно. [at-léech-na] Great.

Замеча́тельно. [za-mee-chá-teel’-na] Great. Perfect.

Прекра́сно. [pree-krás-na] Great. Perfect. Wondeful.

Now you are familiar with the basic Russian greetings and know how to say hi, hello, and how are you? in Russian and to respond to a greeting.

We hope you enjoy our lessons. Stick with us and we will gladly help you on your way to learn the Russian language!

The offline version of this lesson is available here

Start the quiz

• Question # 1 Translate what you hear
  • bye
  • hello (formal)
  • hi
  • how are you?
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 2 Translate what you hear
  • Good morning.
  • Good afternoon.
  • Good everning.
  • Good night.
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 3 Translate to English:Все хорошо, спасибо.
  • Fine, thank you.
  • How about you?
  • Hello, how are you?
  • Everything is good, thank you.
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 4 Say it in Russian:Good evening
  • до́брый день
  • до́брый ве́чер
  • до́брое ве́чер
  • до́брое у́тро
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 5 What does it literally mean: как жизнь?
  • How is your life?
  • What's up?
  • And you?
  • How is your day?
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 6 Translate to English:so-so
  • так себе́
  • там себе́
  • не о́чень
  • отли́чно
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 7 Which option is incorrect?
  • А как у тебя́?
  • А твои́ как?
  • А как у ты?
  • А ты как?
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 8 Which greeting is not appropriate for formal situations?
  • До́брый ве́чер.
  • Как жизнь?
  • Как ва́ши дела́?
  • Здра́вствуйте.
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 9 Translate what you hear
  • Fine, thank you.
  • Not bad, thank you.
  • Everything is good, thank you.
  • Great, thank you.
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%) Next
• Question # 10 Translate what you hear
  • As usual.
  • Nothing special.
  • Not bad.
  • Not very well.
  Answered: 0 out of 10Correct answers: 0 (0%)

More lessons on Russian vocabulary

• The most important Russian words
• Hello! and How are you? in Russian
• Goodbye in Russian
• Thank you, please, and you're welcome in Russian
• "I speak Russian" in Russian and other useful phrases
• Calling for help in Russian
• My name is ... in Russian
• Seasons in Russian
• Congratulations in Russian
• Talking about health in Russian
• Meeting your Russian in-laws
• Making friends in Russian
• Talking about family in Russian
• Talking about the weather
• Internet vocabulary and phrases
• Colors in Russian
• Visiting a pharmacy
• Directions in Russian
• New Year's dialogues
• Happy birthday in Russian, Russian birthday wishes
• Going to the movies
• I love you in Russian and other romantic phrases
• Russian terms of endearment
• Professions in Russian
• Hotel dialogues in Russian
• Visiting a doctor

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