how do you say hello in russian

You say “hello” in Russian in two main ways, depending on how formal you want to be:

• Informal “hi”: Привет — pronounced roughly pree-VYET.

• Formal “hello”: Здравствуйте — pronounced roughly ZDRAV-stvooy-tyeh (the first syllable is stressed).

Use Привет with friends, family, and people your age, and Здравствуйте at work, with older people, or in polite situations.