haai
/ɦɑːi/
The English phrase "hey" is translated into Afrikaans as haai.
haai is used as an informal greeting.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While haai is used as a greeting, it is also the Afrikaans word for the animal 'shark'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
haai is an informal greeting. For formal situations, you should use Goeie dag (good day) or Goeie aand (good evening). Other informal options include Hallo, Hi or Hoi.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦɑːi/
Did you know?
- The greeting haai is a direct loanword from Dutch, which also uses haai as the word for 'shark'.
- In South African English, people might use the word 'hey' at the end of a sentence to mean 'right?' or 'isn't it?', but in Afrikaans, haai stays strictly at the beginning as a greeting.
- While 'hey' in English can sometimes be used to get someone's attention aggressively, using haai in Afrikaans is almost always perceived as a friendly, casual recognition.
Examples in context
- Hi, ek wou net sê jy het goed gedoen met jou voordrag.Hi, I just wanted to say you did well with your presentation.
- Hoi julle! Wat is die plan vir vanaand?Hey, guys! What's the plan for tonight?
- Haai daar! Ek het gehoor jy gaan 'n nuwe motor koop.Hey there! I heard you're buying a new car.
- Haai, hoe gaan dit?Hey, how are you?
- Haai, daar is jy!Hey, there you are!
- Haai, ek is hier.Hey, I am here.
Example conversation
Pieter and Anika run into each other at a local park.
- PieterHaai, Anika!Hey, Anika!
- AnikaHaai, Pieter. Hoe gaan dit met jou?Hey, Pieter. How are you doing?
- PieterDit gaan goed, dankie.It is going well, thanks.
- AnikaDis goed om jou te sien.It is good to see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry haai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries haai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
