नमस्ते

Hindi

Hindi phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste, “salutations to you”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /nə.məs.t̪eː/, [nɐ.mɐs.t̪eː]

Interjection

नमस्ते • (namaste) (Urdu spelling نَمَسْتے)

1. A salutation; a greeting used for most purposes including hello, goodbye, etc.

   Synonym: नमस्कार (namaskār)

Usage notes

In India, नमस्ते (namaste) and नमस्कार (namaskār) are non-religious greetings, while elsewhere they might be considered Hindu or Indic greetings. Religious greetings include:

• (Hindu) जय श्री राम (jay śrī rām), जय सिया राम (jay siyā rām), जय श्री कृष्ण (jay śrī kŕṣṇa), राम राम (rām rām), राधे राधे (rādhe rādhe), जय जगन्नाथ (jay jagannāth), etc.
• (Jain) जय जिनेंद्र (jay jinendra)
• (Sikh) सत श्री अकाल (sat śrī akāl)
• (Muslim) सलाम अलैकुम (salām alaikum)

which may be used by or when speaking to a person of the mentioned religion, as it is often considered gracious to greet someone in their religion’s greeting.

In modern Hindi urban usage, English hi and hello are also common.

Noun

नमस्ते • (namaste) f or m (Urdu spelling نَمَسْتے)

1. an instance of the interjection namaste; greeting, salutation
2. (colloquial, often humorous) farewell, ending

   नमस्ते करना ― namaste karnā ― to bid farewell; to fire, kick out

   कोरोना इफ़ेक्ट ने अतिथिदेवो भव की संस्कृति को 21 दिन के लिए नमस्ते कर दिया।

   koronā ifekṭ ne atithidevo bhav kī sanskŕti ko 21 din ke lie namaste kar diyā.

   Corona effect has bid farewell to “guest is god” culture for 21 days.

   आज उसे नौकरी से नमस्ते कर दिया गया।

   āj use naukrī se namaste kar diyā gayā.

   Today he was fired from job.

Declension

Declension of नमस्ते (fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	नमस्ते namaste	—
oblique	नमस्ते namaste	नमस्तेओं namasteõ
vocative	नमस्ते namaste	नमस्तेओ namasteo

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “नमस्ते”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 544

Nepali

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste, “salutations to you”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nʌmʌst̪e]
• Phonetic Devanagari: नमस्ते

Interjection

नमस्ते • (namaste)

1. A salutation; a greeting used for most purposes including hello, good morning/afternoon, and goodbye

See also

• नमस्कार [namaskār]

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• নমস্তে (Assamese script)
• ᬦᬫᬲ᭄ᬢᬾ (Balinese script)
• নমস্তে (Bengali script)
• 𑰡𑰦𑰭𑰿𑰝𑰸 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀦𑀫𑀲𑁆𑀢𑁂 (Brahmi script)
• နမသ္တေ (Burmese script)
• નમસ્તે (Gujarati script)
• ਨਮਸ੍ਤੇ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌨𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇 (Grantha script)
• ꦤꦩꦱ꧀ꦠꦺ (Javanese script)
• 𑂢𑂧𑂮𑂹𑂞𑂵 (Kaithi script)
• ನಮಸ್ತೇ (Kannada script)
• នមស្តេ (Khmer script)
• ນມສ຺ເຕ (Lao script)
• നമസ്തേ (Malayalam script)
• ᠨᠠᠮᠠᠰ᠌ᢠᡝ (Manchu script)
• 𑘡𑘦𑘭𑘿𑘝𑘹 (Modi script)
• ᠨᠠᠮᠠᠰᢐᠧ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧁𑧆𑧍𑧠𑦽𑧚 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐣𑐩𑐳𑑂𑐟𑐾 (Newa script)
• ନମସ୍ତେ (Odia script)
• ꢥꢪꢱ꣄ꢡꢾ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆤𑆩𑆱𑇀𑆠𑆼 (Sharada script)
• 𑖡𑖦𑖭𑖿𑖝𑖸 (Siddham script)
• නමස‍්තෙ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩯𑩴𑪁 𑪙𑩫𑩔 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚝𑚢𑚨𑚶𑚙𑚲 (Takri script)
• நமஸ்தே (Tamil script)
• నమస్తే (Telugu script)
• นมสฺเต (Thai script)
• ན་མ་སྟེ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒢𑒧𑒮𑓂𑒞𑒹 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨝𑨢𑨰𑩇𑨙𑨄 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From नमस् (námas), nominative singular of नमस् (námas, “a bow, obeisance”) + ते (te, “to you”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /nɐ.mɐs.tɐj/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /n̪ɐˈmɐs̪.t̪eː/

Interjection

नमस्ते • (namaste)

1. a bow to you; salutations, greetings
   • 1940, संघ प्रार्थना :

     नमस्ते सदा वत्सले मातृभूमे
     त्वया हिन्दुभूमे सुखं वर्धितोऽहम् ।
     महामङ्गले पुण्यभूमे त्वदर्थे
     पतत्वेष कायो नमस्ते नमस्ते ॥

     namaste sadā vatsale mātṛbhūme
     tvayā hindubhūme sukhaṃ vardhitoʼham.
     mahāmaṅgale puṇyabhūme tvadarthe
     patatveṣa kāyo namaste namaste.

     I bow to you always, dear motherland; I have been brought up happily by you, O Hindu land;
     May this body fall for you, O much auspicious holy land!
     Salutations to you, salutations to you.

Descendants

Borrowings

• → English: namaste
• → Spanish: namasté
• → Persian: نمسته (namaste)
• → French: namasté
• → Gujarati: નમસ્તે (namaste)
• → Hindustani: namaste

  Hindi: नमस्ते

  Urdu: نمستے

• → Italian: namaste
• → Japanese: ナマステ (namasute)
• → Kannada: ನಮಸ್ತೆ (namaste)
• → Korean: 나마스테 (namaseute)
• → Malayalam: നമസ്തേ (namastē)
• → Marathi: नमस्ते (namaste)
• → Nepali: नमस्ते (namaste)
• → Punjabi: namaste

  Gurmukhi script: ਨਮਸਤੇ

  Shahmukhi script: نمستے

• → Portuguese: namastê
• → Russian: намастэ́ (namastɛ́), намасте́ (namasté)
• → Tamil: நமஸ்தே (namastē)
• → Telugu: నమస్తే (namastē)
• → Chinese: 那摩斯戴 (nàmósīdài)