namaste
/ˈnʌm.ə.steɪ/interjection, noun, verb
namaste is spelled N-A-M-A-S-T-E: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, namaste means “A greeting in contexts relating to Indian culture or the New Age movement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in namaste?
| Letters | 7: N-A-M-A-S-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is namaste?
Namaste appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce namaste?
- /nə.məs.t̪eː/
- [nɐˈmɐs.t̪eˑ]
- US /ˈnʌm.ə.steɪ/
Namaste has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-namaste.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with namaste?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as namaste (/ʌməsteɪ/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: smetana.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of namaste
- namastes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- namasteing participle, present
- namasted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does namaste mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
A greeting in contexts relating to Indian culture or the New Age movement.
- 2
proscribedThank you (via a misunderstanding of the meaning of the associated gesture).
noun
- 1
The traditional greeting when saying the word namaste, with folded hands and a slight bow.
- 2
In yoga, the pose associated with this word, usually with the flat hands held palms together, fingers up, in front of the heart and a slight bow.
verb
- 1
To utter "namaste".
The yoga instructor namasted, and the class began.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Namaste in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a greeting:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does namaste come from?
Learned borrowing from Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste, literally “a bow to you”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).