नमस्ते

Hindi

Hindi phrasebook

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

Etymology

From Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste), from नमस् (námas, “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”) and ते (te, “to you”). नमः (namaḥ) can be traced back to Proto-Indo-Iranian *namas (“to bow”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /nə.məs.t̪eː/, [n̪ə.məs̪.t̪eː]

Interjection

नमस्ते • (namaste) (Urdu spelling نمستے‎)

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

Usage notes

नमस्ते (namaste) is a Hindu greeting. Sikh speakers in formal situations may prefer to use सत श्री अकाल (sat śrī akāl) when greeting other Sikhs, and Muslim speakers employ सलाम अलैकुम (salām alaikum) when greeting other Muslims. It is often considered gracious to greet someone in their religion’s greeting.

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

Synonyms

• सत श्री अकाल (sat śrī akāl)
• सलाम अलैकुम (salām alaikum)

Noun

नमस्ते • (namaste) f (Urdu spelling نمستے‎)

1. greeting, salutation, an instance of the interjection namaste

Declension

Declension of नमस्ते (fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	नमस्ते namaste	नमस्तेएँ namasteẽ
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

Nepali

Etymology

From Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste), from नमस् (námas, “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”) and ते (te, “to you”). नमस् (namas) can be traced back to Proto-Indo-Iranian *namas (“to bow”).

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

• ᬦᬫᬲ᭄ᬢᬾ (Balinese script)
• নমস্তে (Assamese script)
• নমস্তে (Bengali script)
• 𑰡𑰦𑰭𑰿𑰝𑰸 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀦𑀫𑀲𑁆𑀢𑁂 (Brahmi script)
• 𑌨𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇 (Grantha script)
• નમસ્તે (Gujarati script)
• ਨਮਸੑਤੇ (Gurmukhi script)
• ꦤꦩꦱ꧀ꦠꦺ (Javanese script)
• នមស្តេ (Khmer script)
• ನಮಸ್ತೇ (Kannada script)
• ນມສ຺ເຕ (Lao script)
• നമസ്തേ (Malayalam script)
• 𑘡𑘦𑘭𑘿𑘝𑘹 (Modi script)
• ᠨᠠᠮᠠᠰᢐᠧ (Mongolian script)
• ᠨᠠᠮᠠᠰ᠌ᢠᡝ (Manchu script)
• နမသ္တေ (Burmese script)
• 𑧁𑧆𑧍𑧠𑦽𑧚 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐣𑐩𑐳𑑂𑐟𑐾 (Newa script)
• ନମସ୍ତେ (Oriya script)
• ꢥꢪꢱ꣄ꢡꢾ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆤𑆩𑆱𑇀𑆠𑆼 (Sharada script)
• 𑖡𑖦𑖭𑖿𑖝𑖸 (Siddham script)
• නමස්තේ (Sinhalese script)
• నమస్తే (Telugu script)
• นมสฺเต (Thai script)
• ན་མ་སྟེ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒢𑒧𑒮𑓂𑒞𑒹 (Tirhuta script)

Etymology

From नमस् (námas, “a bow, obeisance”) from Proto-Indo-European *némos (“bowing”) + ते (te, “to you”).

Pronunciation

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

Interjection

नमस्ते • (namaste)

1. a bow to you (salutations)

Descendants

• → English: namaste
• → Spanish: namasté
• → Persian: نمسته‎ (namaste)
• → French: namasté
• Gujarati: નમસ્તે (namaste)
• Hindi: नमस्ते (namaste)
• → Italian: namaste
• → Japanese: ナマステ (namasute)
• → Kannada: ನಮಸ್ತೆ (namaste)
• → Korean: 나마스테 (namaseute)
• → Malayalam: നമസ്തേ (namastē)
• Marathi: नमस्ते (namaste)
• Nepali: नमस्ते (namaste)
• Punjabi: ਨਮਸਤੇ (namsate), نمستے‎ (nmste)
• → Portuguese: namastê
• → Russian: намастэ́ (namastɛ́), намасте́ (namasté)
• → Tamil: நமஸ்தே (namastē)
• → Telugu: నమస్తే (namastē)
• Urdu: نمستے‎ (namaste)
• → Chinese: 那摩斯戴 (nàmósīdài)