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Questions & Answers about Здравствуйте! Я врач.
Why is there no word for "am" or "a" in Я врач?
In the present tense, Russian doesn't use a verb for "to be" (like "am", "is", or "are"). You literally just say "I doctor". Also, Russian has no articles like "a" or "the", so врач covers both.
Is the first в in Здравствуйте actually pronounced?
No, it is silent. The word is pronounced roughly as "zdrastvuyte". When Russian words have a heavy cluster of consonants, one of them is sometimes dropped in spoken speech to make it easier to say.
Is Здравствуйте used for all greetings?
This is the formal and plural greeting. You use it for strangers, people you respect, or when addressing more than one person. If you are talking to a friend, you would use the much shorter informal greeting, Привет.
If the doctor is a woman, does she still say Я врач?
Yes! Some professions in Russian have different words for men and women, but врач is commonly used for both. A female doctor will introduce herself exactly this way.