Learn Hardcore Russian: Каждый раз, когда Вы встречаете нового человека, говорите «Здравствуйте». - Every time you meet a new person, say “Hello.”

In Russian, Вы is capitalized as a sign of respect when addressing someone formally. This polite form distinguishes it from the informal ты used with friends or close acquaintances.

What is the role of the phrase Каждый раз, когда in the sentence?

The phrase Каждый раз, когда literally means "every time" and introduces a temporal clause. It sets a recurring condition—whenever you meet a new person—under which the subsequent instruction (говорите «Здравствуйте») should be applied.

Why is the verb говорите in the imperative mood rather than in a different form?

Говорите is in the imperative form because the sentence issues an instruction. It tells the listener to perform the action of greeting, highlighting that each time the condition is met, you should say Здравствуйте.

Why are the quotation marks shown as « and » around Здравствуйте instead of the typical English quotes?

Russian typographic conventions use the guillemets « and » to enclose direct speech or quotes. They serve the same purpose as the English " " but follow the standard style in Russian texts.

Why is the adjective нового in the form it appears, and what case is being used in нового человека?

The noun человека here is an animate, masculine noun in the accusative case—which for such nouns has the same form as the genitive. The adjective нового is declined to agree with this case, gender, and number, so it appears in the form used for masculine animate nouns in the accusative.

What tense is used in встречаете and how does it indicate a habitual action?

Встречаете is in the present tense. In Russian, the present tense often describes habitual or repeated actions. Thus, it effectively communicates that whenever you habitually meet a new person, you should greet them by saying Здравствуйте.