How to Say Hi in Rissian (Russian): Привет and Other Casual Greetings

If you searched for "hi in Rissian", you are in the right place: "Rissian" is simply a frequent typo for Russian, and everything below is real, everyday Russian written in the Cyrillic alphabet. This page covers the casual side – Привет and its relatives, plus how to say "Hi, I'm Jack" and ask someone's name. For polite greetings such as Здравствуйте and "good morning", see our separate guide to saying hello in Russian.

A note on the transliterations: capital letters mark the stressed syllable (pree-VYET), "kh" is the throaty sound in Scottish "loch", and an apostrophe (') means the consonant before it is soft.

Привет: The Standard Way to Say Hi

Привет is what Russians say to friends, siblings, classmates and colleagues they are on first-name, informal terms with. It matches English "hi" or "hey" very closely, and it is also the standard way to open a text message or a chat. As a noun, привет means "greetings, regards" – which is why you will also hear Передай привет маме (pee-ree-DAI pree-VYET MA-mye), "Say hi to your mum".

When to use Привет (ты) – and when not to

Other Casual Ways to Say Hi in Russian

Привет is always safe with friends, but native speakers use a handful of other informal greetings. All of the following are real, commonly heard words; they differ mainly in tone.

Russian	Say it	Literal meaning	When to use it
Привет	pree-VYET	"hi" (the noun привет also means "greetings, regards")	The default casual hi: friends, family, classmates, children, anyone you call ты
Приветик	pree-VYE-teek	"little hi" (diminutive)	Playful and affectionate; texts and close friends. Too cute for work
Привет-привет	pree-VYET pree-VYET	"hi-hi"	Cheerful, bubbly greeting between friends
Всем привет!	fsyem pree-VYET	"hi to everyone"	Greeting a group of friends, a group chat, a video or a post
Здоро́во!	zda-RO-va	from здоровый, "healthy"	Very casual "hey there", mostly between male friends. Often spelled Здарова or Дарова (da-RO-va) online
Салют!	sa-LYUT	borrowed from French salut	Light, jokey hi among friends
Хай!	khai	borrowed from English hi	Informal and a bit ironic; mostly younger people and texting
Прив	preef	clipped Привет	Texting and chat only
Здравствуй	ZDRAST-vooy	"be healthy" (ты form)	A warmer, more serious hello to one person you call ты. See hello in Russian

"Hi, I'm Jack": Introducing Yourself in Russian

A very common search is "hi I am Jack in Rissian". In Russian the verb "to be" is normally left out in the present tense, so "I am Jack" is just я Джек – literally "I Jack". Put your own name in place of Jack.

Russian	Say it	Literal meaning	Use
Привет, я Джек.	pree-VYET, ya DZHEK	"Hi, I Jack."	Casual self-introduction (Russian drops "am" in the present tense)
Меня зовут Джек.	mee-NYA za-VOOT DZHEK	"Me (they) call Jack."	"My name is Jack" – works in every situation, formal or casual
Я Джек.	ya DZHEK	"I Jack."	Short "I'm Jack"
Как тебя зовут?	kak tee-BYA za-VOOT	"How do (they) call you?"	"What's your name?" to a peer, a child, a new friend (ты)
Как вас зовут?	kak VAS za-VOOT	same, with polite вы	"What's your name?" to an adult stranger, an older person, or a group
А тебя? / А вас?	a tee-BYA / a VAS	"And you?"	Bounce the question back after giving your name
Очень приятно.	O-cheen' pree-YAT-na	"Very pleasant."	"Nice to meet you"
Мне тоже.	mnye TO-zhe	"To me too."	"Likewise"
Я из Англии / из Америки.	ya eez AN-glee-ee / eez a-MYE-ree-kee	"I from England / from America."	Saying where you are from

Example: meeting someone new at a party

The same introduction, politely

Notice the second speaker gives her first name plus patronymic (a middle name formed from her father's name). That is the normal respectful way to address an older adult, a teacher or a manager in Russian.

Writing your name in Cyrillic

English names are usually spelled by sound, not letter by letter. Some common examples:

English name	Usual Russian spelling	Say it
Jack	Джек	DZHEK
John	Джон	DZHON
Emma	Эмма	EM-ma
Michael	Майкл	MAIKL
Kate	Кейт	KEYT

What to Say After Hi

A Привет is usually followed by a question. These are the most natural follow-ups among friends:

Russian	Say it	Meaning
Как дела?	kak dee-LA	How are you? / How are things?
Как ты?	kak TY	How are you? (more personal)
Что нового?	shto NO-va-va	What's new?
Как жизнь?	kak ZHYZN'	How's life?
Давно не виделись!	dav-NO nee VEE-dee-lees'	Long time no see! ("long not seen each other")

Typical replies are Нормально (nar-MAL'-na, "fine"), Хорошо (kha-ra-SHO, "good") or Так себе (tak see-BYE, "so-so"), then А у тебя? (a oo tee-BYA, "and you?"). Our guide to how are you in Russian covers all the answers, and thank you in Russian covers Спасибо.

Casual Ways to Say Bye

A casual hi deserves a casual goodbye. With people you call ты, До свидания (the polite goodbye) can sound stiff; these are what friends actually say:

Russian	Say it	Literal meaning	Use
Пока!	pa-KA	"For now / while"	The standard casual bye
Пока-пока!	pa-KA pa-KA	"Bye-bye"	Cheerful, playful
Давай!	da-VAI	"Come on / give"	Very colloquial "OK, bye", especially at the end of phone calls
Увидимся!	oo-VEE-deem-sya	"We'll see each other"	"See you!"
До завтра!	da ZAF-tra	"Until tomorrow"	"See you tomorrow"
До встречи!	da FSTRYE-chee	"Until the meeting"	"See you later"; also fine semi-formally
Счастливо!	shchees-LEE-va	"Happily"	"Take care, all the best"

In texts, people often shorten these too: пока becomes пок or покеда in very relaxed chats. As with Прив and Спс (short for Спасибо), keep them for friends.

Cultural Notes on Casual Greetings

• Greet once a day. Russians usually say hello to a given person once per day. Greeting a colleague again after lunch can earn a smiling Мы уже здоровались (my oo-ZHE zda-RO-va-lees'), "We've already said hi."
• Handshakes. Men who know each other usually shake hands when they meet, even with a casual Привет or Здорово. Between women, or between a man and a woman, a nod, a smile or (between close friends) a hug is more common.
• Not across a threshold. Many Russians avoid shaking hands across a doorway – it is an old superstition. Step inside or outside first.
• Smiles are for people you know. Russians generally don't smile at strangers the way many Americans do. A neutral face with a stranger is not unfriendly.
• Texting. In messages people write Привет!, Прив or Приветик; a comma or exclamation mark after the greeting is normal.

Common Mistakes When Saying Hi in Russian

Do

Don't

Stress the second syllable: pree-VYET Use Здравствуйте with strangers, officials and older people Say Меня зовут… when in doubt – it fits every situation Follow Привет with Как дела? only if you want a real answer

Say Привет to a customs officer, a shop assistant you don't know or your friend's grandmother Mix Привет with вы when talking to one person you don't know Add a word for "am": "я есть Джек" is wrong – just я Джек Pronounce the В in Привет as a b, or the Р as a p Write "Пpивeт" with Latin p and e – it may look right but search engines and translators won't read it (see our Cyrillic lookalike guide)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say hi in Rissian?

"Rissian" is a common misspelling of Russian. Hi in Russian is Привет, pronounced pree-VYET with the stress on the second syllable. Use it with friends, family, children and anyone you address as ты.

How do you say "Hi, I'm Jack" in Russian?

Say Привет, я Джек (pree-VYET, ya DZHEK). Russian leaves out "am", so it is literally "Hi, I Jack". A slightly fuller version is Привет, меня зовут Джек (pree-VYET, mee-NYA za-VOOT DZHEK), "Hi, my name is Jack".

How do you ask someone's name in Russian?

To a friend or peer: Как тебя зовут? (kak tee-BYA za-VOOT). To an adult stranger or someone older: Как вас зовут? (kak VAS za-VOOT). Both literally mean "How do they call you?".

Is Привет rude?

No, but it is informal. It is fine with friends and people your age, but with strangers, older people or in official situations it can sound too familiar. There, use Здравствуйте (ZDRAST-vooy-tye) or Добрый день (DOB-ry DYEN').

How do you reply to Привет?

Simply say Привет! back, often followed by a question such as Как дела? (kak dee-LA, "How are you?") or Что нового? (shto NO-va-va, "What's new?").

What is the difference between hi and hello in Russian?

Привет is casual "hi" for people you call ты. Здравствуйте is the polite "hello" for people you call вы, and Добрый день ("good day") is a neutral, polite greeting that works almost anywhere.