Many people around the world are staying home now. And, as I can see by the increasing number of Russian lesson requests, some of them decided to dedicate these days to learning Russian^^ I hope some of these notes below will help you widen your knowledge of the Russian language.

The most common way to informally say hello in Russian is Привéт (<em>Priv</em>é<em>t</em>), meaning “hi.” Among Russian men, you often hear the slightly more rough-sounding Здорóво (<em>Zdor</em>ó<em>vo</em>), generally followed by a firm handshake.

Some Russian girls and women tend to use diminutive greetings with each other. For example,  Привéтик<em> </em>(<em>Priv</em>é<em>tik</em>) is a cute way to say hello in Russian, and Привéтики<em> </em>(<em>Priv</em>é<em>tiki</em>) sounds even cuter (please do not use it if you aren't wearing a pink sweater with a unicorn on it).

If the people you are addressing are noticeably older than you (or above your status), use Здрáвствуйте (<em>Zdr</em>á<em>vstvuite</em>). It looks like the imperative form of one old-fashioned verb Здрáвствовать (to be healthy). So when you say Здрáвствуйте, you basically mean to say "I wish you to be healthy". It does look like a polite way to greet someone, doesn't it?

For daily usage, though, even this word gets too complicated. Здрáсти (<em>Zdr</em>á<em>sti</em>) is the more colloquial, shortened form. There’s also an informal version, mostly used in writing: Здрáвствуй (<em>Zdr</em>á<em>vstvui</em>), though this has another connotation. It conveys aloofness and detachment, so it’s best suited for “Dear John” letters.

Дóброе утро (<em>D</em>ó<em>broye útro</em>) means “good morning” and is often heard before noon. 

Дóбрый день (<em>D</em>ó<em>bry den’</em>), or “good day,” is a stylistically neutral, polite greeting that can be used until the end of the work day. 

Дóбрый в<em>é</em>чер (<em>D</em>ó<em>bry vécher</em>), meaning “good evening”.

Did you know that Russia has 11 time zones? When it’s 10 am in Kaliningrad, people over in Kamchatka are already eating their evening meals at 8 o’clock! Now imagine you’re in a Russian chatroom and have no idea what time of day it is for the person you’re chatting with. How do you greet them then?  Дóброго вр<em>é</em>мени суток<em> </em>(<em>D</em>ó<em>brogo vrémeni sútok</em>) — literally, “Good around-the-clock!”

What kind of greeting do you prefer to use?