Diya Scripture guide
Namaste Meaning: What Namaste Means and How Hindus Use It
What namaste means: the Sanskrit namah (a bow) plus te (to you). How to say it, how to reply, the gesture, and how Hindus use it in prayer.
The short answer
Namaste means "I bow to you".
It joins two Sanskrit words: namah (namas), meaning a bow, salutation or adoration, and te, meaning "to you". It is the everyday greeting of India and Nepal, said with the palms pressed together at the chest and a slight bow of the head. Hindus use the same word and gesture in prayer: "namah" is the bow in mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya.
What does namaste mean?
Namaste (नमस्ते) means "I bow to you." It is two Sanskrit words joined:
| Part | Sanskrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| namah | नमः (namas) | a bow, salutation, obeisance, adoration |
| te | ते | to you |
Hindi dictionaries give namaste literally as "salutation to you". When the two words meet, Sanskrit sound rules turn namaḥ te into namaste.
The word namas comes from the root nam, "to bend". The greeting is the spoken form of a bow.
How do you do the namaste gesture?
Press your palms together, fingers pointing up, at the center of your chest, and bow your head slightly. Then say "namaste". The hand position is called anjali. You can do the gesture without the word, and the word without the gesture; both are polite. In yoga classes the same hands-together position is also called namaste.
| Situation | What people do |
|---|---|
| Greeting an elder or guest | Palms together at the chest, a slight bow, "namaste" or "namaskar" |
| Greeting a friend | Often just "namaste" with a nod, or a quick hands-together |
| Before a deity in a temple or home shrine | Palms together, sometimes raised to the forehead, with a deeper bow |
| Saying goodbye | Namaste works for goodbye too |
What do you say back to namaste?
Say "namaste" back, with your palms together if you can. "Namaskar" means the same thing and is a little more formal. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala you will also hear vanakkam and namaskaram. You never need to correct anyone's pronunciation; the gesture of respect is what matters.
Is namaste religious?
Namaste is an everyday greeting in India and Nepal, used by people of every faith. It is not a prayer by itself. But it comes from the language of worship. In home puja, family members bow before the image of the deity, and the same joined palms and bowed head are how Hindus greet God.
Many Hindus explain the gesture this way: the same divine presence lives in every person, so bowing to someone honors that presence in them. The phrase "the divine in me honors the divine in you" is a popular yoga-class rendering of that idea. It is a fair spiritual reading, but the literal meaning is "I bow to you".
Namah in Hindu mantras
The namah in namaste is the same word that ends or anchors many Hindu mantras. Placed with a deity's name, it means "salutations to" or "reverence to" that deity:
| Mantra | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Om Namah Shivaya | Salutations to Shiva |
| Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha | Salutations to Ganapati (Ganesha) |
| Om Namo Narayanaya | Salutations to Narayana (Vishnu) |
| Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya | Salutations to Lord Vasudeva (Krishna) |
So every time you chant one of these, you are saying namaste to God. Read the full texts and meanings in Om Namah Shivaya and Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha.
How to say namaste
- Hindi pronunciation: nuh-muh-stay, three short syllables with no stress on the last one.
- Common US pronunciation: nah-mah-STAY. Both are understood.
- Spelling in Hindi: नमस्ते. In Telugu: నమస్తే. In Tamil: நமஸ்தே.
Namaste in daily practice
A simple way to begin a daily practice is to light a lamp, join your palms and bow, the namaste you offer to the divine, and then chant one short mantra. Diya, the app, guides you through that each day with a diya to light and mantras to chant along with. Diya is available for iPhone. See the Diya app.
Related reading
Questions people ask
What does namaste literally mean?
"I bow to you." Namah (namas) means a bow or salutation, and te means "to you". Hindi dictionaries give it literally as "salutation to you".
What do I say back when someone says namaste?
Say "namaste" back, ideally with your palms together at your chest and a small nod. Saying "namaskar" (or "namaskaram" in South India) is just as polite.
Is namaste a religious word?
It is an everyday greeting in India and Nepal, used by people of every background. The same word of bowing is also used in Hindu prayer, so it carries respect and reverence.
Does namaste mean "the divine in me honors the divine in you"?
That is a popular spiritual reading, especially in yoga. The literal meaning is simpler: "I bow to you". Many Hindus do explain the bow as honoring the divine present in every person.
How do you pronounce namaste?
NUM-us-tay, with three short syllables and no stress on the last one. In US English it is often said nah-mah-STAY.
Research notes
Sources
Follow the reading behind this article through the references below. Each source represents its own author, institution, or tradition.
- NAMASTE | English meaning
Cambridge DictionaryPublished by Cambridge University Press
- Namas: definitions (Sanskrit dictionaries)
Wisdom Library
- Namaste: definitions
Wisdom Library
- Puja: How is puja performed?
Smithsonian Institution, Freer and Sackler GalleriesPublished by Smithsonian Institution
- Om Namah Shivaya (Diya prayer library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
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