Say Hello in Russian: Privet!

Think about the ways you say hello to your friends. You might wave, smile, or call out 'hi!' Different languages have their own special words for hello. Today you are going to learn how people say a friendly hello in Russian — one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Russian is spoken by over 150 million people across Russia and many other countries.

In Russian, the word 'privet' (say it like this: pree-VYET) means 'hi' or 'hello'. It is an informal greeting. 'Informal' means you use it with friends, classmates, or people your own age — not with a teacher or a stranger you have just met. Russian has its own special alphabet called the Cyrillic alphabet. In Cyrillic letters, 'privet' looks like this: привет. Each letter makes a sound, just like in English, but the shapes are different and exciting to learn. Let's break the word into two parts to help you say it: 'pri' (pree) + 'vet' (VYET). Put them together — pree-VYET! The stress, which means the part you say a little louder, is on the second part: VYET. When would you use privet? Imagine you walk into school and see your friend — you call out 'Privet!' It is warm, casual, and friendly. In Russian culture, greetings are important. Using the right greeting shows respect and friendliness.