hei
The Indonesian word for "hey" is hei.
hei is an informal interjection used to get someone's attention or as a casual greeting.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hei is an informal way to say "hey" used among friends and peers. For a more formal greeting in Indonesia, you should use Halo. In other informal settings, particularly among young people, you might use Bro or Mas to address male friends or acquaintances. While hei is a common way to say "hey", the form Hai is also a popular and widely understood informal greeting.
Did you know?
- In very casual settings, Indonesians might replace hei with the word Woi, which is a much louder and more aggressive way to call someone's attention.
- The word Mas, often used alongside hei to address men, literally means 'older brother' in Javanese and is used across Indonesia regardless of actual family relation.
- While hei is common, using it to get a stranger's attention can be perceived as rude or demanding in Indonesia. Instead, locals often use Permisi which means 'excuse me' to maintain social harmony.
Examples in context
- Hei, gimana keadaannya di bawah?Hey, how's it going down there?This sentence shows how to use hei when asking about someone's situation.Tatoeba #3936346 by Bilmanda, translation #3730617 by CM
- Hei, lihat! Lihat! Ada pelangi besar!Hey, look! Look! There's a massive rainbow!This sentence demonstrates using hei to grab someone's attention to look at something.Tatoeba #12319833 by HAGNi, translation #12190297 by sundown
- Hei, apa yang akan kita lakukan besok?Hey, what are we going to do tomorrow?This sentence illustrates using hei to start a casual question about future plans.Tatoeba #3764034 by Bilmanda, translation #2580278 by dipdowel
- Halo, apa kabar?Hello, how are you?
- Hai, apa kabar?Hey, how are you?
- Hai, kabarku baik, terima kasih.Hey, I'm good, thanks.
- Hei, ada berita apa?Hey, any news?
- Hei, tidak ada berita spesial.Hey, no special news.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya sees Dimas walking towards her in a park.
- MayaHei, Dimas!Hey, Dimas!
- DimasOh, hei Maya.Oh, hey Maya.
- MayaLagi jalan ke mana?Where are you walking to?
- DimasMau ke toko buku.I want to go to the bookstore.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
