અરે
are
The English phrase "hey" is translated into Gujarati as અરે (are).
અરે is used as an interjection to express surprise, sudden realization or to get someone's attention, similar to 'hey' or 'oh' in English.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While અરે can be used to get attention, it is an interjection of emotion rather than a formal greeting like 'Namaste'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kutch region, people commonly greet each other by saying Jai Shri Krishna.
How do you pronounce it?
are
When do people say it?
The word Kem is an informal way to greet someone and translates to 'How?' or 'How's it going?' 'Namaskar' is a Hindi-derived term used in Gujarati to greet someone formally.
Did you know?
- In many Indian dialects, including parts of Gujarati, a long, drawn-out અરે… can signal that you are about to share a piece of juicy gossip.
- The word અરે is an ancient Sanskrit interjection that has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years.
- When used to express surprise, અરે is often accompanied by a specific hand gesture, such as raising the palms, which is not common in English 'hey' usage.
Examples in context
- અરે, તમે અહીં શું કરો છો?are, tame ahi shu karo chho?Hey, what are you doing here?
- અરે, મને બહુ ભૂખ લાગી છે.are, mane bahu bhukh lagi che.Hey, I am very hungry.
- અરે, આ પત્ર ક્યાંથી આવ્યો?are, aa patra kyanthi aavyo?Hey, where did this letter come from?
Example conversation
Two friends meet unexpectedly on the street.
- અંજલિ Anjaliઅરે, નિલય!Are, Nilay!Hey, Nilay!
- નિલય Nilayઅંજલિ! તું અહીં શું કરે છે?Anjali! Tu ahi shu kare chhe?Anjali! What are you doing here?
- અંજલિ Anjaliહું બજારમાં ખરીદી કરવા આવી છું.Hu bajarma kharidi karva avi chhun.I have come to the market for shopping.
- નિલય Nilayસરસ, ચાલ સાથે ચા પીએ.Saras, chal sathe cha piye.Great, let's go have tea together.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries અરે, CC BY-SA 4.0.
