hei
/hæɪ/
hei is the Norwegian way to say hey.
hei is a common and versatile greeting in Norwegian. It is primarily used as a standard, friendly way to say hello or hi. Unlike the English word 'hey', which can sometimes function as a sudden call for attention or an exclamation of surprise, the Norwegian hei is used mainly as a standard greeting.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hei is the standard way to say hello and is used informally in many social settings. For more formal situations, such as professional settings or when meeting someone for the first time, you might use God dag (good day). Among friends and peers, you may also encounter the slang term Halla or the informal greeting Heisann.
How do you pronounce it?
/hæɪ/
When do people say it?
If you want to be extra friendly while greeting someone, you can say Hei, hvordan går det? to mean 'hey, how are you?'
Did you know?
- While the Norwegian hei is a friendly greeting, its etymological relative is the Old Norse heiðr, which refers to a 'heath' or 'open field'.
- Even though 'hei' is informal, it is so ubiquitous in Norwegian culture that it can be used in many semi-professional environments where English speakers might feel the need for more formality.
- When texting or using social media, Norwegians often use 'hei' with multiple 'i's, such as heiiii, to signal enthusiasm or a playful mood.
Examples in context
- Hei du, ikke løp!Hey you, don’t run!This sentence shows how to use hei when calling out to someone.Tatoeba #2844297 by eirik174, translation #8786297 by Objectivesea
- Hei, hva er dette?Hey, what's this?This sentence demonstrates using hei to start a question.Tatoeba #5708347 by Meggie, translation #3448879 by CK
- Hei, du.Hey, you.This sentence shows a simple greeting using hei.Tatoeba #10940439 by Mayk, translation #40102 by AlanF_US
- Hei, hvordan går det? Har du lyst til å finne på noe i helgen?Hey, how are you? Do you want to do something this weekend?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nora and Andreas meet in the hallway at work.
- NoraHei, Andreas!Hey, Andreas!
- AndreasHei, Nora! Hvordan går det?Hey, Nora! How is it going?
- NoraDet går bra, takk.It is going well, thanks.
- AndreasSå bra. Vi ses senere!That's great. See you later!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
