hei
The Catalan word for "hey" is hei.
hei is used as an informal greeting. In Catalan, you can also use Hola to say "hey" or "hello" and the phrase Què tal? to ask "What's up?" or "How are you?" For a more colloquial greeting, you might hear Hola, com anem?, which means "Hello, how are we doing?"
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Did you know?
- The greeting hei shares the exact same spelling and pronunciation as the first-person singular present form of the verb 'to have'.
- In many parts of Catalonia, a greeting like hei or hola is often accompanied by the 'dos bessons' gesture, where two fingers are tapped against the forehead or the heart.
- An elongated heeei can be used as a generic substitute for a person's name when calling them across a crowded space.
Examples in context
- Hola Maria! Com va tot?Hey Maria! How's everything?
- Hola, com anem? Has escoltat la nova cançó dels Manel?Hello, how are we doing? Have you heard the new Manel's song?
Example conversation
Anna and Jordi meet unexpectedly on the street.
- AnnaHei, Jordi! Què fas per aquí?Hey, Jordi! What are you doing around here?
- JordiHola, Anna! Vine a visitar la família.Hi, Anna! I came to visit the family.
- AnnaQue bé! Fa molt de temps que no ens veiem.That's great! It's been a long time since we've seen each other.
- JordiSí, ha passat molt de temps.Yes, a lot of time has passed.
