अरे
are/ə.ɾeː/
The Hindi word for "hey" is अरे (are).
अरे is used as an interjection to grab someone's attention or to express surprise, much like the English "hey" or "oh".
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
are (/ə.ɾeː/)
When do people say it?
The English word 'Hi' is commonly used by Hindi speakers to greet each other in informal settings. The word 'Hello' is used in Hindi to address someone in an informal manner. Other common informal greetings include Kaise ho?, which means "How are you?" and the colloquial expression Aur bhai, which translates to "What's up, brother?"
Did you know?
- The word अरे is an ancient term inherited from Sanskrit through Sauraseni Prakrit.
- In many Indian dialects, a slightly different variation of अरे, such as अरी, is used specifically when addressing women to grab their attention.
- While English uses 'hey' to call someone, using अरे with a stranger in India can sometimes sound slightly impatient or even rude depending on your tone.
Examples in context
- अरे, ज़रा सुनो तो!Hey, just listen for a moment!This sentence shows how to use अरे to get someone to listen.
- अरे! यह क्या है?Hey, what's this?This sentence demonstrates using अरे to express surprise at something.Tatoeba #3670910 by sabretou, translation #3448879 by CK
- अरे! वह क्या है?Hey, what's that?This sentence shows how to use अरे when noticing something at a distance.Tatoeba #3670911 by sabretou, translation #3448814 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rahul and Priya are walking in a park.
- प्रिया Priyaअरे राहुल, तुम यहाँ क्या कर रहे हो?Are Rahul, tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?Hey Rahul, what are you doing here?
- राहुल Rahulअरे प्रिया! मैं बस टहल रहा हूँ।Are Priya! Main bas tahal raha hoon.Hey Priya! I am just walking.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या हम साथ में बैठ सकते हैं?Kya hum saath mein baith sakte hain?Can we sit together?
- राहुल Rahulहाँ, बिल्कुल!Haan, bilkul!Yes, absolutely!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry अरे, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अरे, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
