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A2How to sayrad tebyá vídyet

How to say “Nice to see you” in Russian

For someone you already know. The first-meeting version is a different phrase.

Quick answer

Рад тебя́ ви́деть!

rad tebyá vídyet — рад for a man, ра́да for a woman — a short adjective again

The options

Рад тебя́ ви́деть!Nice to see you! — male speaker
Ра́да тебя́ ви́деть!Nice to see you! — female speaker
Рад вас ви́деть.Good to see you. — polite
Как я рад!How glad I am!
О́чень прия́тно.Pleased to meet you. — first meeting only

рад is short-only

Рад has no long form in this meaning: рад, ра́да, ра́ды and nothing else. It is followed either by an infinitive — рад ви́деть, рад помо́чь, рад слы́шать — or by a что clause: рад, что ты пришёл.

Not “nice to meet you”

О́чень прия́тно is for a first introduction only. Said to someone you already know, it would be odd — the equivalent of introducing yourself to your own colleague. For a reunion, рад тебя́ ви́деть.

What you hear back

Я то́же!Me too!
Взаи́мно!Likewise!
И я рад / ра́да.I’m glad too.

Typical mistakes

Рад тебя́ ви́деть — said by a woman

Ра́да тебя́ ви́деть.

The short adjective agrees.

О́чень прия́тно — to an old friend

Рад тебя́ ви́деть!

The first phrase is for introductions.

Check yourself

A woman says “nice to see you”:

Feminine short form ра́да.

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