hej
/hɑj/
hej is the Danish phrase for hello and goodbye.
The word hej serves as a casual greeting used both when arriving and when leaving.
Which one should you use?
Although hej can function as both a greeting and a departure, repeating the word as hej hej is specifically used when saying goodbye.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hej is an informal way to say hello or goodbye. For more formal situations, you might use Goddag to say Good day or Godaften to say Good evening. Other informal variations include Halløj for a casual Hey/Hi, Hej hej for Bye-bye, Vi ses for See you and Håber vi ses snart for Hope to see you soon.
How do you pronounce it?
/hɑj/
Did you know?
- The greeting hej is an example of linguistic borrowing, as it entered Danish via Swedish.
- In many Scandinavian cultures, including Denmark, the informal hej is used so frequently that it can bridge gaps between different social classes.
- Danes often accompany hej with a small wave or a nod, but a handshake is typically reserved for the first meeting or formal departures.
Examples in context
- Hej, hvordan går det?Hi, how is it going?
- Hej, vi ses senere!Hi, see you later!
Example conversation
Freja and Mikkel pass each other on the street.
- FrejaHej, Mikkel!Hi, Mikkel!
- MikkelHej, Freja!Hi, Freja!
- FrejaHar du travlt?Are you busy?
- MikkelJa, hej hej!Yes, bye bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hej, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hej, CC BY-SA 4.0.
