6+ Greetings In Telugu For Different Occasions

Greetings in Telugu on Yellow Background

Let’s say you run into your Telugu-speaking friend by chance at the supermarket. What are some greetings in Telugu you can use? The formal and polite way to greet in Telugu is Namaskaram (నమస్కారం). You could also say “Hi” or “Hello.” But isn’t there a better way to greet people in specific places such as markets, hospitals, or at a party?

If you’ve ever wondered about this, you’re in luck. That’s exactly what we’ll learn now with a few great examples. So, let’s get to the good stuff.

Greetings In The Telugu Language

Generally, there are two types of greetings in Telugu: formal and informal. A simple suffix determines which is which, so it’s not hard to learn. If you end the sentence with Ru, it’s a formal and plural greeting; if you end the sentence with Vu, it becomes informal and much friendlier.

I’ll explain this below while teaching you how to greet others in various situations.

Common Greetings In The Telugu Language

Let’s start with the basics. If you’re meeting someone, you can generally greet them by saying Namaskaram (నమస్కారం). This simple, polite, and formal salutation works in any situation. But it’s better to follow up with a situation-specific question like, “How are you?” “What are you doing?” etc., to strike up a small conversation.

  • Example: Namaskaram, what are you doing? – Namaskaram, Em Chestunnaru? (నమస్కారం, ఏం చేస్తున్నారు)

You can also use Namaste and Vandanalu instead of Namaskaram.

  • Example: Namaste/Vandanalu, what are you doing? – Namaste/Vandanalu, Em Chestunnaru? (నమస్తే/వందనాలు, ఏం చేస్తున్నారు)

Remember I said a suffix can change a greeting from formal to informal? If you substitute Ru in the above sentences with Vu, they will become informal.

  • Formal: Namaskaram, Em Chestunnaru? (నమస్కారం, ఏం చేస్తున్నారు?)
  • Informal: Namaskaram, Em Chestunnavu? (నమస్కారం, ఏం చేస్తున్నావు?)

Once you have learned these by heart, you can be sure to introduce yourself in Telugu to native speakers impressively.

Now that we’ve learned about simple Telugu greetings, let’s see how to greet people in various situations.

Greeting Someone In A Restaurant

If you come across your friends in a restaurant, they are likely there to celebrate an occasion or treat themselves. In such instances, you can greet them with a Hello in Telugu in the following way.

  • Example: Hey, what’s up? What’s the occasion? – Hey, Enti Sangati? Emaina Occasion ah? (హేయ్, ఏంటి సంగతి? ఏమైనా అకేషనా?)

You can see that I’ve transliterated “hey” and “occasion” into the Telugu translation. This is fine since Telugu easily assimilates words from other languages, especially English, and most people understand these words.

Greeting Someone In A Supermarket

Now, let’s say you meet someone in a supermarket. They, too, are there to purchase something. In that case, you can greet them this way.

  • Example: Hey, how are you? What are you here to buy? – Hey, Ela Unnaru? Em kontunnarenti? (హేయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు? ఏం కొంటున్నారేంటి?)

This is a greeting to strike up small talk and exchange pleasantries in a supermarket setting.

Indian woman initiating a handshake

Greeting Someone In A Hospital

Seeing our friends at a hospital is never a good feeling. We don’t know why they are there and what happened. So, it’s best to greet them in a way that conveys our empathy and concern. Here’s how you can do that.

  • Example: Hey, how are you? Is everything fine? – Hey, Ela Unnaru? Antha Bane Unda? (హేయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు? అంతా బానే ఉందా?)
  • Example: Hi, what brings you here, anything happened? – Hi, Ila Vaccharu Enti, Emaina Jariginda? (హాయ్. ఇలా వచ్చారు ఏంటి, ఏమైనా జరిగిందా?)

Greeting Someone In A Friend’s House

We tend to greet informally when we go to a friend’s house. And we want to know everything! Also, the chances of meeting new people are high. Here are a few greetings for that.

  • Example: Hi, I’m Joseph. I’m a friend of John’s. – Hi, Nenu Joseph. Nenu John Friend ni. (హాయ్, నేను జోసెఫ్. నేను జాన్ ఫ్రెండ్ ని.)
  • Example: Hey, what’s up? Nice to meet you, brother. – Hey, Ela Unnavu? Ninnu Chudatam Santoshamga Undi, Bro. (హెయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నావు? నిన్ను చూడటం చాలా సంతోషంగా ఉంది, బ్రో.)

Don’t be startled by seeing “Bro” here. Nowadays, pretty much everyone in Telugu states can understand the term.

  • Example: Hey, how’s the party going? – Hey, Party Ela Jarugutondi? (హేయ్, పార్టీ ఎలా జరుగుతోంది?)

Greeting Someone While Traveling

Let’s say you are traveling somewhere and happen to meet your friends; this is how you can greet them.

  • Example: Hey, how are you? Where are you travelling to? – Hey, Ela Unnavu? Ekkadiki Veltunnavu? (హేయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నావు? ఎక్కడికి వెళ్తున్నావు?)

And once you are done making small talk, you can wish them this.

  • Example: Okay, happy journey. – Sare, Happy Journey. (సరే, హ్యాపీ జర్నీ)
  • Example: Okay, see you again. – Sare, Malli Kaluddam. (సరే, మళ్ళీ కలుద్దాం)

Greeting Someone On A Special Occasion

Let’s say you’re meeting with a friend on their birthday, New Year’s Day, or any other festive date on Telugu calendar. Remember these phrases to greet and wish them well in Telugu.

  • Happy Birthday – Puttina Roju Subhakanshalu (పుట్టిన రోజు శుభాకాంక్షలు)
  • Happy Christmas – Christmas Subhakanshalu (క్రిస్మస్ శుభాకాంక్షలు)
  • Happy New Year – Noothana Samvatsara Subhakanshalu (నూతన ఏడాది శుభాకాంక్షలు)
  • Happy Diwali – Dipavali Subhakanshalu (దీపావళి శుభాకాంక్షలు)
  • Happy Independence Day – Swatantra Dinotsava Subhakankshalu (స్వతంత్ర దినోత్సవ శుభాకాంక్షలు)

Please note that though these are the actual and proper greetings, most people nowadays simply greet others in English. So, don’t sweat it if you cannot remember these all immediately.

And there you have it. With this, you can greet people in many situations. You can read my other post to learn how to greet people with “Good morning” in Telugu. I gave an in-depth explanation, which will help you immensely. And if you want to dive deeper and learn more greetings in Telugu, check out this blog.

How Do You Say Greetings In Telugu?

In Telugu, the word for “greetings” is Shubaakaanshalu (శుభాకాంక్షలు). It is pronounced as shu-bha-kaank-shalu.

More Greetings In Telugu

Here are a few more greetings in Telugu. These are the most common greetings that you can use on different occasions.

EnglishTelugu ScriptTransliteration
Happy Anniversaryవార్షికోత్సవ శుభాకాంక్షలుVarshikotsava Subhakankshalu
Long time no seeచూసి చాలా కాలం అయిందిChusi Chala Kaalam Aindi
Good Nightశుభ రాత్రిSubha Ratri
How’s life?జీవితం ఎలా ఉంది?Jivitam Ela Undi?
All good?అంతా బాగుందా?Antha Bagunda?
What’s new?ఏంటి విశేషాలు?Enti Viseshalu?
How have you been?ఇన్నాళ్లు ఎలా ఉన్నావు?Innallu Ela Unnavu?
Catch you laterతర్వాత కలుద్దాంTarvata Kaluddam

Frequently Asked Questions About Telugu Greetings

1. How Do Telugu People Greet Each Other?

Most of us greet each other by saying, “Hi, Ela Unnaru?” or “Hey, Em Chestunnavu?” If it’s with our close friends, we tend to add a few words at the end based on gender.

  • Greetings between close guy friends: Hi, Ela Unnavu ra?
  • Greetings between close girl friends: Hi, Ela Unnave.

Please note that this is a highly informal greeting and should never be used when greeting strangers, elders, or a person of higher status. But apart from this, the rest of our greetings are just as I described them in the blog.

2. What Is The Meaning Of Namaskaram In Telugu?

Namaskaram is a polite and official greeting that means “I bow to you.” It’s borrowed from Sanskrit into Telugu. The word namah means “to bow” or “to salute,” and kar means “to do.”

3. Can I Use These Greetings To Greet Any Telugu Person?

Yes, of course. Though Telugu has a few major dialects in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, you can greet any Telugu speaker in India and globally with the above greetings.

A Few Final Words

I hope this blog helped you understand greetings in Telugu. Remember, learning a language is not just learning phrases and words but also understanding the culture and context of its traditions. So spending a few hours learning about the Telugu people, their language, and their history will help you better connect with the language and its speakers.

Make sure to also practice your pronunciation and speak the language regularly, and use apps such as the Ling app to keep you progressing day by day. You’ll master the language in no time!

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