How to say "good evening" in Russian
When to use it
Polite evening greeting from roughly 18:00 onward.
Syllables & stress
Literal meaning
Literally 'kind evening'. It is not a farewell: to say goodnight on the way to bed, Russians use «Доброй ночи» or «Спокойной ночи».
Formal or informal?
Safe with anyone from around 18:00 — shop staff, hosts, a stranger you are about to ask something. Adding a name or «дорогая» makes it the warm, slightly old-fashioned greeting people use in messages.
Examples
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "good evening" in Russian?
"good evening" in Russian is Добрый вечер, pronounced Dobryy vecher (DO-bry VYE-cher — stress on the capitalised syllable).
How do you pronounce Добрый вечер?
Dobryy vecher — IPA /ˈdobrɨj ˈvʲetɕɪr/. Syllables: DO-bry VYE-cher. Use the Listen button above to hear it.
What does Добрый вечер literally mean?
Literally 'kind evening'. It is not a farewell: to say goodnight on the way to bed, Russians use «Доброй ночи» or «Спокойной ночи».
Is Добрый вечер formal or informal?
Safe with anyone from around 18:00 — shop staff, hosts, a stranger you are about to ask something. Adding a name or «дорогая» makes it the warm, slightly old-fashioned greeting people use in messages.
More phrases
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Written by Vlad Lario
Russian in Lisbon. I read both sides and write down what differs.
About the author