Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hei | /hæɪ/ | |
| hallo | ||
| halla | informal | |
| heisann |
These words are all used as interjections to greet someone or to get their attention. While hei is the standard and most common way to say hello, hallo is frequently used when answering the telephone or when you are trying to get someone's attention because you are unsure if they heard you.
Which one should you use?
Hei is the most versatile and standard greeting for almost any situation. In contrast, hallo is often specifically used when answering the phone or checking if someone has heard you. For a more energetic or cheerful greeting, you can use heisann, which conveys a sense of being happy to see someone. Halla is a colloquial variation of hallo used among close friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hei is suitable for nearly any social situation, ranging from formal to informal. If you need a very polite or formal way to greet someone at a specific time of day, you can use God dag (good day), God morgen (good morning, typically used until noon), God ettermiddag (good afternoon, used from noon until the evening) or God kveld (good evening, used from late afternoon until nighttime). Halla is highly informal and functions as slang, whereas hey is a borrowed word from English used for casual greetings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Halla is often used in urban youth dialects.
How do you pronounce it?
/hæɪ/
When do people say it?
Heisann is used when making a more energetic entrance or greeting someone you are particularly happy to see. In many social contexts, hei is the go-to choice for a friendly and standard greeting.
Did you know?
- The word hei descends from the Old Norse word heiðr.
- In Norway, hallo can be used to express confusion or disbelief, similar to how an English speaker might say 'Hello?' when someone is acting strangely.
- Despite the variety of greetings, Norwegians frequently use hei even in professional settings where English speakers would use 'Good morning' or 'Hello'.
Examples in context
- Jeg ville bare si hallo.I just wanted to say hello.This sentence shows how to express a desire to say hello using hallo.Tatoeba #5164655 by sotolf, translation #2012661 by CK
- Hallo?Hello?This is how you might say hello when answering a phone call using hallo.Tatoeba #10940247 by Mayk, translation #3613319 by Thanuir
- Hei, Tom.Hello, Tom.This is a simple greeting using a person's name with hei.Tatoeba #10940454 by Mayk, translation #54604 by Zifre
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nora and Jakob meet on the street.
- NoraHei, Jakob!Hello, Jakob!
- JakobHei, Nora. Hvordan går det?Hello, Nora. How are you?
- NoraDet går fint, takk.It's going well, thanks.
- JakobSå bra.That's good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries hei, hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hallo, hei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
