Quick answer
Hello in Russian (Rissian) is Здравствуйте — ZDRAST-vooy-tye (formal), or Привет — pree-VYET (informal). If Здравствуйте feels like a mouthful, Добрый день (DOB-ry DYEN', "good day") is polite, easy and works almost anywhere during the day.
People often search "say hello in Rissian", but the language they mean is Russian – "Rissian" is just the way the word often gets typed. This guide covers every common Russian hello: the formal Здравствуйте, the time-of-day greetings, the phone greeting, and how they fit with the formal вы and informal ты. For the casual side (Привет, Приветик, Здорово) and how to introduce yourself, see how to say hi in Russian.
Pronunciation key: capital letters show the stressed syllable, "kh" is the sound in Scottish "loch", and an apostrophe (') marks a soft consonant.
All the Ways to Say Hello in Russian
| Russian | Say it | Literal meaning | Formality and when to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Здравствуйте | ZDRAST-vooy-tye | "Be healthy" (to вы) | Formal. The standard polite hello: strangers, older people, teachers, doctors, officials, shop staff, and any group of people |
| Здравствуй | ZDRAST-vooy | "Be healthy" (to ты) | Polite but personal, for one person you call ты: e.g. a teacher to a pupil, an adult to a child, relatives |
| Добрый день | DOB-ry DYEN' | "Good day" | Neutral-polite. Very common in shops, offices, phone calls and emails during the day |
| Доброе утро | DOB-ra-ye OO-tra | "Good morning" | Morning greeting, formal or informal, until roughly late morning |
| Добрый вечер | DOB-ry VYE-cheer | "Good evening" | Evening greeting, from roughly 5–6 pm onwards |
| Привет | pree-VYET | "Hi / greetings" | Informal. Friends, family, peers, children. See hi in Russian |
| Здрасьте | ZDRAS'-tye | shortened Здравствуйте | Colloquial, fast-speech version; fine in passing, too casual for formal settings |
| Приветствую | pree-VYET-stvoo-yu | "I greet (you)" | Bookish or slightly humorous; speeches, forum posts, some emails |
| Алло | a-LO | "Hello?" | Phone only – used when answering a call, never face to face |
| Доброго времени суток | DOB-ra-va VRYE-mee-nee SOO-tak | "Good time of day" | Online "hello whatever time you read this"; many native speakers find it clumsy, so use sparingly |
| Рад(а) вас видеть | rat (RA-da) vas VEE-deet' | "Glad to see you" | Warm addition after a greeting; рад for a man speaking, рада for a woman; тебя (tee-BYA) instead of вас with ты |
Здравствуйте: The Polite Hello
Здравствуйте comes from the verb здравствовать, "to be healthy, to thrive", so it is literally a wish: "be well". The ending -те makes it polite or plural, which is why it is the right hello for anyone you address as вы – and for any group, even a group of friends.
How to pronounce Здравствуйте
Transliteration: ZDRAST-vooy-tye (often written zdravstvuyte)
Syllables: здра(в)ст-вуй-те
- The first в is silent. Native speakers say "zdrast", not "zdravst". This is the single most useful tip for this word.
- The stress is on the first syllable: ZDRAST.
- вуй sounds like "vooy" (rhymes loosely with "buoy" said quickly).
- те is "tye", with a soft t.
- Practise in chunks: zdrast … vooy … tye, then join them.
Shortcut
In quick everyday speech many Russians say Здрасьте (ZDRAS'-tye). It is fine when passing a neighbour, but in a job interview or with an official, say the full word – or use Добрый день, which is equally polite and far easier.
Здравствуйте or Здравствуй?
Здравствуйте is for вы (one person politely, or several people). Здравствуй (ZDRAST-vooy) is for ты – one person you know well. It is warmer and more serious than Привет; you'll hear it from a teacher to a pupil, from grandparents, or in letters and songs. If you are unsure, the -те form is always the safer choice.
Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening
Russian time-of-day greetings are built from добрый ("good"), which changes its ending to match the noun: доброе утро (neuter), добрый день and добрый вечер (masculine). There is no separate "good afternoon" – Добрый день covers the whole day. The switch-over times below are habits, not rules.
| Time of day (roughly) | Greeting | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning to about 11:00–12:00 | Доброе утро | DOB-ra-ye OO-tra |
| Late morning to about 17:00–18:00 | Добрый день | DOB-ry DYEN' |
| Evening | Добрый вечер | DOB-ry VYE-cheer |
| Any time, polite | Здравствуйте | ZDRAST-vooy-tye |
| Late at night, when leaving or going to bed | Спокойной ночи / Доброй ночи | spa-KOY-nay NO-chee / DOB-ray NO-chee |
Спокойной ночи and Доброй ночи mean "good night" and are said when parting or going to sleep – not when you arrive somewhere at night. For that, use Добрый вечер or Здравствуйте.
Examples
Starting a work email: Добрый день, Анна Сергеевна! (DOB-ry DYEN', AN-na seer-GYE-eev-na) – Good afternoon, Anna Sergeyevna!
To your host family at breakfast: Доброе утро! (DOB-ra-ye OO-tra) – Good morning!
Answering the phone: Алло! Добрый вечер. (a-LO! DOB-ry VYE-cheer) – Hello? Good evening.
Arriving at a friend's party: Всем привет! (fsyem pree-VYET) – Hi, everyone!
Hello in Real Situations
Emails and letters
Russian emails usually open with Здравствуйте! or Добрый день!, often followed by the person's name: Здравствуйте, Иван Петрович! A formal letter starts with Уважаемый (oo-va-ZHA-ee-my, to a man) or Уважаемая (oo-va-ZHA-ee-ma-ya, to a woman), "Respected" – the equivalent of "Dear": Уважаемая Анна Сергеевна! The usual sign-off is С уважением (s oo-va-ZHE-nee-yem), "With respect", i.e. "Kind regards".
Greeting a group
Здравствуйте is already plural, so it works for a room full of people. You'll also hear Всем добрый день! (fsyem DOB-ry DYEN'), "Good afternoon, everyone", and among friends Всем привет! (fsyem pree-VYET).
Arriving at someone's home
Guests say Здравствуйте or Добрый вечер to the hosts and their family; the host typically answers Проходите! (pra-kha-DEE-tye), "Come in!". Most Russians take their shoes off at the door, and hosts often offer guests slippers – тапочки (TA-pach-kee).
Answering a greeting
The simplest reply is to repeat the same greeting: Здравствуйте! – Здравствуйте!, Добрый день! – Добрый день! There is no set response like "Fine, thanks", because a Russian hello isn't a question.
Saying Goodbye Politely
| Russian | Say it | Literal meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| До свидания | da svee-DA-nee-ya | "Until (the next) meeting" | The standard polite goodbye |
| Всего доброго | fsee-VO DOB-ra-va | "(I wish you) all the good" | "All the best"; polite and warm |
| Хорошего дня | kha-RO-she-va DNYA | "(Have) a good day" | Common in shops and service |
| До встречи | da FSTRYE-chee | "Until the meeting" | "See you", neutral |
| Пока | pa-KA | "For now" | Informal only – see hi and bye in Russian |
Formal вы vs. Informal ты
Which hello you pick depends on whether you would call the person вы (vy, polite "you") or ты (ty, familiar "you"):
- вы → Здравствуйте, Добрый день/утро/вечер. Adults you don't know, older people, anyone in an official or service role, your manager, and any group.
- ты → Привет, Здравствуй, Доброе утро. Friends, family, children, classmates, colleagues who already use ты with you.
The time-of-day greetings are useful precisely because they work with both. If you can't decide, Добрый день is the diplomatic choice.
Names and patronymics
In formal Russian, adults are addressed by first name plus patronymic (a name formed from the father's first name): Иван Петрович (ee-VAN pee-TRO-veech), Анна Сергеевна (AN-na seer-GYE-eev-na). A hello to a teacher or a senior colleague therefore often sounds like Здравствуйте, Иван Петрович! Russians don't use "Mr" or "Mrs" in everyday speech; the patronymic does that job.
Greeting Etiquette in Russia
- Say hello when you walk in. Greeting staff with Здравствуйте when entering a small shop, a pharmacy or an office is normal and polite.
- Once per day. People generally greet each person once a day. You'll hear Мы уже здоровались (my oo-ZHE zda-RO-va-lees'), "we've already said hello", if you repeat it.
- Handshakes. Men usually shake hands on meeting; take off a glove first. Many women prefer a nod or a smile, so let a woman offer her hand.
- Not across the doorway. A common superstition says shaking hands over a threshold brings bad luck – step through first.
- Neutral faces. Russians rarely smile at strangers, and a serious expression during a polite hello is not a sign of hostility.
Common Mistakes with Russian Hellos
- Pronouncing every letter of Здравствуйте. The first в is silent: ZDRAST-vooy-tye.
- Using Привет with strangers or officials. It sounds overly familiar; use Здравствуйте or Добрый день.
- Saying Здравствуй (without -те) to someone you should call вы.
- Greeting with Спокойной ночи. It means "good night" as a goodbye, not as a hello.
- Saying Алло in person. Алло is only for the phone.
- Misplacing the stress in добрый: it is DOB-ry, not do-BRY.
- Treating Как дела? as part of hello. In Russian it is a real question, not a greeting – you don't ask a cashier. See how are you in Russian.
Once you have said hello, you'll soon need Спасибо (thank you). Our English to Russian phrasebook collects greetings, numbers, days and travel phrases on one page, and our Russian culture overview puts them in context.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hello in Rissian?
"Rissian" is a common misspelling of Russian. The polite hello is Здравствуйте (ZDRAST-vooy-tye); the casual one is Привет (pree-VYET). Добрый день (DOB-ry DYEN', "good day") is a polite, easier alternative.
How do you pronounce Здравствуйте?
Say ZDRAST-vooy-tye, stressing the first syllable. The first в is silent, so it starts "zdrast", not "zdravst". In fast casual speech it often shrinks to Здрасьте (ZDRAS'-tye).
What is the difference between Здравствуйте and Здравствуй?
Здравствуйте is used with вы: one person you address politely, or any group. Здравствуй is used with ты: one person you know well, such as a child or a relative.
How do you say good morning, good afternoon and good evening in Russian?
Good morning is Доброе утро (DOB-ra-ye OO-tra), good afternoon or good day is Добрый день (DOB-ry DYEN'), and good evening is Добрый вечер (DOB-ry VYE-cheer). All three are fine in formal and informal situations.
How do Russians say hello on the phone?
They answer with Алло (a-LO), often followed by Да? (da, "yes?") or a greeting such as Добрый день. Алло is never used face to face.
Is Привет or Здравствуйте better for a tourist?
Use Здравствуйте or Добрый день with anyone you don't know, such as hotel staff, shop assistants and officials. Save Привет for friends, people your own age in casual settings, and children.