Which one should you use?
While hey is very informal and often used to get attention, Hallo is a more standard, neutral greeting used in a wider variety of social situations. Among the younger generation, the colloquial term Hi is also common.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hey is an informal greeting. For more formal situations, you might use Guten Tag to say hello or good day. In southern Germany and Austria, the formal greeting Grüß Gott is common.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Germany and parts of Lower Saxony, the popular informal greeting Moin is often used to say hey or hi.
When do people say it?
Depending on the social context, German speakers have various ways to greet one another. While hey is casual, speakers in the south might use Grüß Gott for a more formal touch and those in the north frequently use Moin.
Did you know?
- The greeting Na? is often answered with another Na?, creating a conversational loop where both parties acknowledge each other without using any formal words.
- Using 'hey' to get someone's attention in Germany can be perceived as significantly more aggressive or rude than in English. It is often viewed as a demand for immediate attention rather than a casual call.
- The southern greeting Grüß Gott literally translates to 'greet God'. It is used as a respectful way to say 'hey' or 'hello' in Bavaria and Austria.
Examples in context
- Hey, wo bist du?Hey, where are you?This sentence shows how to use hey when asking for someone's location.Tatoeba #6644820 by Felixjp, translation #3575352 by CK
- Hey, hör mir zu.Hey, listen to me.This sentence demonstrates using hey to get someone to listen.Tatoeba #6644835 by Felixjp, translation #3562475 by CK
- Hey, was ist los?Hey, what's going on?This sentence illustrates using hey to ask what is happening.Tatoeba #6626026 by Felixjp, translation #3575405 by CK
- Hallo, wie geht's?Hey, how are you?
- Hi, was hast du heute vor?Hey, what are you up to today?
- Moin, wie läuft's?Hey, how's it going?
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas meet on the street.
- HannahHey, Lukas!Hey, Lukas!
- LukasHey, Hannah, wie geht's?Hey, Hannah, how are you?
- HannahMir geht es gut, danke.I am doing well, thanks.
- LukasSchön, dich zu sehen.Good to see you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
