Meaning & use
namaste
Last updated
Meanings
interjection
A respectful greeting or farewell used in South Asia, often said while pressing the palms together near the chest.
Grammar: Used alone as a greeting, like 'hello' or 'goodbye'.
Patterns
- Namaste, how are you?
- She said namaste.
Namaste, it's nice to meet you.
The teacher greeted the class with 'Namaste'.
He said namaste and bowed slightly.
nouncountable
The gesture of pressing the palms together in front of the chest, often with a slight bow, to greet or show respect.
Grammar: Can be used as a countable noun: 'a namaste'.
Patterns
- do a namaste
- offer a namaste
She gave a namaste as she entered the room.
The yoga instructor ended the class with a namaste.
He offered a namaste to show his respect.
Word forms
| plural | namastes |
|---|
Common combinations
- say namaste
- In India, people often say namaste when they meet.
- namaste pose
- The namaste pose is common in yoga.
- with a namaste
- She greeted us with a namaste.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: namaste or namaste?
namaste vs namaste
Sometimes spelled 'namaskar' in some regions, but 'namaste' is the most common form in English.
Practice
What is the most appropriate situation to use 'namaste'?
Choose one answer.
Namaste is commonly used in yoga classes and when greeting people from South Asian cultures. It is not typically used in everyday Western settings like banks or restaurants.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “namaste”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.