EkGuru › Answers › What are the common Hindi greetings besides namaste?
नमस्ते is never wrong, but using only नमस्ते marks you immediately as a learner. Here is what people actually say.
नमस्ते — namaste — works for hello and goodbye, morning and night, one person or a group. Palms together, a slight bow of the head. If you learn one greeting, learn this.
नमस्कार — namaskar — the same word, more formal. Used in speeches, on the news, and with someone considerably older or more senior.
आदाब — aadaab — used in Urdu-speaking and Muslim contexts, with a hand raised towards the forehead. Widely understood in Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad.
सत श्री अकाल — sat sri akal — the Punjabi Sikh greeting. Used constantly in Punjab, Delhi and across the Punjabi diaspora.
राम राम — ram ram — rural north India, particularly among older people. Warm and traditional.
जय श्री कृष्ण — jai shri krishna — common in Gujarat and among Vaishnav communities.
These exist and are grammatically correct, but they are translations from English and sound slightly formal or media-flavoured in speech:
Most people say नमस्ते instead, or in cities simply "good morning" in English.
हाय, hello, hi — English greetings are completely normal in urban India among friends and colleagues. Using नमस्ते with a 22-year-old colleague in Bangalore is not wrong, but it may feel formal to them.
Nobody stops at hello. Learn these:
Note that the "how are you" form changes with the gender of the person you are asking. This is the kind of detail that self-study misses and a tutor catches in the first lesson.
नमस्ते with जी added to a name — नमस्ते शर्मा जी — is polite everywhere in India with everyone, and nobody has ever taken offence at it.
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