ねえ
nē[ne̞ː]
ねえ (nē) is the Japanese way to say hey.
ねえ is used to get someone's attention or to initiate a conversation in an informal setting. Unlike the English use of 'hey' to express surprise or anger, this Japanese phrase functions primarily as a conversational starter or attention-grabber.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While ねえ is used to get attention, you can also use the doubled form ねえねえ to make the call for attention feel more casual, enthusiastic or even slightly cute and childish.
How does it change in a sentence?
Do not confuse the interjection ねえ with the single syllable particle ね. While ねえ is used at the start of a sentence to get attention, the particle ね is placed at the end of a sentence to function as a tag question meaning 'right?' or 'isn't it?'
How do you pronounce it?
nē
Did you know?
- If you use ねえ toward a superior, such as a teacher or a boss, it can come across as quite rude or overly familiar.
- In certain regions of Japan, such as Kansai, you might hear people use なあ instead of ねえ to achieve a similar effect of grabbing attention.
- While ねえ starts a conversation, the word おい is a more masculine and blunt way to say 'hey' that can sound like a command or a confrontation.
Examples in context
- ねえ、話聞いてる？Hey, are you listening to me?This example shows how to use ねえ to check if someone is listening.Tatoeba #3623480 by tommy_san, translation #12534043 by CK
- ねえ、あれが噂の？Hey, is that the rumoured one?This example shows how to use ねえ to point something out to someone.Tatoeba #10915069 by small_snow, translation #12261422 by Ag12x
- ねえねえ、知ってる？Hey, you know what?This example shows the use of the doubled form ねえねえ to start a conversation.Tatoeba #198639 by small_snow, translation #35832 by AlanF_US
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking through a park.
- 陽葵 Himariねえ、あっちに猫がいるよ。Nee, acchi ni neko ga iru yo.Hey, there is a cat over there.
- 健太 Kenta本当だ、可愛いね。Hontou da, kawaii ne.You're right, it's cute.
- 陽葵 Himari健太くん、もっと近くで見たい？Kenta-kun, motto chikaku de mitai?Kenta, do you want to see it closer?
- 健太 Kentaうん、行ってみよう。Un, itte miyou.Yeah, let's go see.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ねえ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
