Saying hello the Bengali way
নমস্কার opens every door in Bengal — but friends, elders and goodbyes each have their own rules.
🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear Learn Bengali spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.
নমস্কার (nomoshkar) is the one greeting that never fails. Folded hands, a small nod, and it works with strangers, elders, shopkeepers and officials — exactly the people a learner meets first. Muslim Bengalis often greet with আসসালামু আলাইকুম or the shorter আদাব (adab); if someone greets you that way, answering the same way is both correct and courteous.
Friends do not nomoshkar each other — it would sound like a speech. They ask কী খবর? (ki khobor — what's the news?) or simply start talking. A useful halfway step is দাদা (dada — elder brother) or দিদি (didi — elder sister) for anyone a little older than you, relative or not. A rickshaw puller called দাদা will quite literally take better care of you.
Bengali has three levels of you, and this is the part worth learning early. আপনি (apni) is formal — strangers, elders, anyone you respect. তুমি (tumi) is for friends, peers and younger family. তুই (tui) is intimate — small children, your closest friends, and God. When unsure, আপনি is never wrong; sliding down to তুমি happens naturally when someone invites it.
And goodbye: Bengalis rarely say anything as final as goodbye. The person leaving says আসি (ashi — I'm off, I'll be back), and the person staying answers এসো (esho — do come again). For thanks, ধন্যবাদ (dhonnobad) works everywhere; অনেক ধন্যবাদ (many thanks) costs nothing extra and buys real warmth.
Words and phrases for this topic
| English | Bengali | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / greetings | নমস্কার | nomoshkar |
| Hello (Muslim greeting) | আদাব | adab |
| How are you? (formal) | আপনি কেমন আছেন? | apni kemon achhen |
| How are you? (informal) | তুমি কেমন আছো? | tumi kemon achho |
| I am fine | ভালো আছি | bhalo achhi |
| What's new? | কী খবর? | ki khobor |
| Thank you | ধন্যবাদ | dhonnobad |
| Many thanks | অনেক ধন্যবাদ | onek dhonnobad |
| Excuse me / sorry (formal) | মাফ করবেন | maf korben |
| Yes | হ্যাঁ | hyan |
| No | না | na |
| Goodbye (I'm off) | আসি | ashi |
| Come again (reply) | এসো | esho |
Language, culture, and common traps
Practice: recall, then use
Use this quick recall drill for Saying hello the Bengali way. Hide the script and romanisation columns; say the Bengali form for each cue before revealing its row, then check spelling and sound. The phrase-table speaker buttons provide a model when a matching browser voice is available.
- Hello / greetings
- Thank you
- Come again (reply)
Context check. For Saying hello the Bengali way, “Come again (reply)” belongs to a particular setting. A common mistake is to treat an English gloss as universal; read the language-specific note above and ask a fluent speaker when local usage differs.
Check your recall: answer key
- নমস্কার nomoshkar — Hello / greetings
- ধন্যবাদ dhonnobad — Thank you
- এসো esho — Come again (reply)
Questions learners ask
Yes, and nobody will mind — নমস্কার is understood everywhere in Bengal. But friends will smile, because it sounds formal. With friends try কী খবর? (ki khobor — what's new?) instead.
নমস্কার with folded hands and a small nod, and use আপনি (apni — formal you) until they invite you to তুমি. Add দাদা (dada) or দিদি (didi) for someone a little older — it warms everything.
You ask leave instead of saying goodbye: আসি (ashi — I'm off). The other person answers এসো (esho — come again). It is one of the loveliest small customs in the language.