# Hi, hello



## ery1980

Hi, could somebody tell me how to say hello in Russian?

Thank you and spashiva (I think)


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## v_polosku

Hi! - Привет! (Privet!)
Hello! - Здравствуйте! (Zdrastvuite!) plural or polite form; Здравствуй!  (Zdravstvuj) - more formal, then "privet"
Good morning - Доброе утро (Dobroe utro!)
Good afternoon - Добрый день (Dobryi den'!)
Good evening - Добрый вечер (Dobryi vecher!)

"Spashiva" is thank you?  It's written as "спасибо" - "spasibo"


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## ery1980

Thank you very much, v polosku. I checked it in the dictionary but couln´t read Russian alphabet. Spasibo.


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## Saluton

Actually, English and Russian are a bit different in this respect. In English, you can say *hi* to a person you don't know, but in Russian, saying *privet* or *zdrastvuy *to a person you don't know would be OK only when addressed to a child or a teenager. Between adults, one should use* zdrastvuyte* or *dobroye utro/dobryy den'/dobryy vecher,* i.e. be more formal.


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## ery1980

So, how would a teenager say hello to his dad?


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## verbivore

Привет, папа.


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## Panda Nocta

"Я вас категорически приветствую"


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## ery1980

verbivore said:


> Привет, папа.


¿I guess this is read "privet, papa"?
Actually, the alphabet looks kind of similar to the greek one (at least the P, the R, the E, the T, the e, the B and the a)
Thanks, verbivore and Panda Nocta


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## Kazman

Yeah, the Cyrillic alphabet is based on the Greek alphabet, although by now, most resemblances can be kind of vague.


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## Saluton

Yes, it's read like *privet, papa.*


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## ery1980

Thanks again to all who helped me and for all the interesting information.


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## ginaribena

by the way i think that thank you is said with an 'a' at the end like: spasiba
the 'o' is pronounced as an 'a' when it is not stressed, stresses are not normally written in russian, only for beginners - like us, to help with pronouciation  and are random so learn them when you learn the word! just a tip!

how can I write in russian or in spanish on here? I only have an english keyboard :S

thanks


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## Saluton

Ginaribena, you may use www.translit.ru for Russian. Or install the necessary keyboard layouts if you can...
And I think it's worth adding that *папа (papa)* is often shortened to *пап (pap).* Contracting *привет,* like *прива,* would be jargon.


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## ginaribena

Sorry, can i just make sure i know what you mean: were you saying that you can shorten papa to pap but if you shorten 'privet' to 'priva' it wouldnt make sense? thank you for the link!


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## ginaribena

Hmmm the link is not working. Is this because of the internet site itself or my internet?


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## Saluton

*Прива* is a jargon distortion of *привет.*  I forgot to put the stresses in my previous post.
Translit.ru won't open on my laptop either. It worked a couple of hours ago. There must be some problem on the site itself.


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## ginaribena

Is sounds more natural to say thats theres a problem *with* something but what you said makes perfect sense 
Jargon distortion :S does that mean a fault with the computer?

I will try the site again in a few hours then, thank you!


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## ginaribena

Thank you very much Saluton! The site is now working and I love it 
спасибо!


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## Saluton

You're welcome. I meant that прива is a slangish, distorted version of привет.


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## ginaribena

Oh okay! That makes much more sense! привет means hi?
and прива is slang for hi?


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## Saluton

Yes.
my message would be too short if I didn't enter this caption


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