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    How to say "how are you" in Russian

    Как дела?
    Kak dela?
    /kak dʲɪˈla/

    When to use it

    Informal. With strangers or elders use 'Как у вас дела?'.

    Syllables & stress

    kak dye-LA

    Literal meaning

    Literally 'how are the affairs'. Unlike English, it is a real question: a Russian may actually tell you how things are, at length.

    Variations

    Как у вас дела?
    Kak u vas dela?
    Polite/formal

    Examples

    Привет! Как дела?
    Privet! Kak dela?
    Hi! How are you?

    Common mistakes

    Using «Как дела?» with a stranger on the street
    It implies you already know the person. With strangers, greet with «Здравствуйте» and go straight to your question.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do you say "how are you" in Russian?

    "how are you" in Russian is Как дела?, pronounced Kak dela? (kak dye-LA — stress on the capitalised syllable).

    How do you pronounce Как дела??

    Kak dela? — IPA /kak dʲɪˈla/. Syllables: kak dye-LA. Use the Listen button above to hear it.

    What does Как дела? literally mean?

    Literally 'how are the affairs'. Unlike English, it is a real question: a Russian may actually tell you how things are, at length.

    Is Как дела? formal or informal?

    Informal. With strangers or elders use 'Как у вас дела?'.

    Are there other ways to say "how are you" in Russian?

    Yes: Как у вас дела? (Kak u vas dela?) — Polite/formal.

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    More phrases

    hello
    Привет
    good morning
    Доброе утро
    good night
    Спокойной ночи
    nice to meet you
    Очень приятно
    goodbye
    До свидания
    good evening
    Добрый вечер

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    Written by Vlad Lario

    Written by Vlad Lario

    Russian in Lisbon. I read both sides and write down what differs.

    About the author

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