hej
/ˈhɛjː/
The Swedish phrase for hello and goodbye is hej.
The word hej is a common way to say hello in Swedish. It is a casual greeting used both when arriving and when leaving.
Which one should you use?
While hej can be used for both, hej då is a more specific way to say goodbye. Other time-specific greetings include God morgon (good morning), god dag (good day) and god kväll (good evening).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hej is applicable in both formal and informal situations. For a more casual tone, you might use tjena, which is an informal greeting equivalent to 'hi' in English.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɛjː/
Did you know?
- If you want to say 'hello' multiple times to a group, Swedes often repeat the word, saying hej hej! to sound particularly warm and approachable.
- The word hej shares an ancient root with the Old Norse word hei, which was used to call out to people or animals.
- While hej is versatile, the phrase hej då literally translates to 'hello then', though it is used exclusively to say goodbye.
Examples in context
- Tjena! Länge sen vi sågs.Hi! Long time no see.
- Tja! Ska vi ta en fika?Hi! Should we grab a coffee?
- Hej, vad kan jag hjälpa till med?Hello, how can I help?
- Hej, vi ses sen.Hello, see you later.
Example conversation
Oscar and Maja bump into each other at a cafe.
- OscarHej Maja!Hello Maja!
- MajaHej Oscar, hur är läget?Hello Oscar, how are things?
- OscarDet är bra, tack.It is good, thanks.
- MajaVad bra, hej då!That's good, goodbye!
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.
