hej
/ɦɛj/
The Croatian word for "hey" is hej.
hej is an informal greeting used primarily with friends or people you know well.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hej is an informal expression.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Istrian region, Ćao is a greeting that translates to "hi" or "bye".
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦɛj/
Did you know?
- In traditional Croatian folk songs and literature, hej is frequently used as a rhythmic device to signal the start of a verse.
- Because hej is an interjection, it remains unchanged regardless of the gender or number of the people being addressed.
- If someone is acting annoying, a quick, sharp hej can function as a command to 'stop that' rather than a greeting.
Examples in context
- Bok! Kako si?Hey! How are you?
- Pozdrav! Čula sam da si se vratio s putovanja.Greetings! I heard you came back from a trip.
- Hej, kako si?Hey, how are you?
- Hej, gledaj ovo!Hey, look at this!
- Hej, jesi li stigao?Hey, did you arrive?
Example conversation
Ivan and Petra meet accidentally on the street.
- IvanHej, Petra!Hey, Petra!
- PetraHej, Ivan! Drago mi je što te vidim.Hey, Ivan! I'm glad to see you.
- IvanKamo ideš?Where are you going?
- PetraIdem u kino.I'm going to the cinema.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hej, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
