0- To greet one person with whom you’re on informal terms, use the word "Zdravstvuj" (zdrah-stvooy; hello).
- To greet a person with whom you’re on formal terms, use the longer word, Zdravstvujtye (zdrah-stvooytee; hello).
- Letter “v” in Zdravstvujtye is silent. Otherwise it would be hard even for Russians to pronounce.
- "Zdravstvujtye" is also used to address more than one person. Use it when addressing two or more people even if they’re children, members of your family, or close friends.
- The informal way of saying “hello” in Russian is privyet! (pree-vyet) It’s similar to the English “hi,” and you should be on pretty familiar terms with a person before you use this greeting.
