hej
/ˈxɛj/
The English phrase "hey" can be said in Polish as hej.
hej is used both as a greeting (like 'Hi') and as an interjection to grab someone's attention (like 'Hey!').
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While hej is used to get someone's attention or as a casual greeting, it is much less formal than dzień dobry (good day).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hej is a colloquial greeting used primarily among friends or people of similar social standing.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈxɛj/
When do people say it?
In Polish, several informal greetings exist. While hej is common, you may also encounter Cześć for "hey" or "hi", Siema which is an informal greeting used particularly among youth and Hejka, a cutesy variation of hey used playfully among friends and young people.
Did you know?
- While hej is a greeting today, it was traditionally used as a loud shout to drive livestock or as a signal during folk dances.
- The word hej is considered onomatopoeic, meaning it was likely created to mimic a natural sound used to call out to others.
- In traditional Polish folk music, hej acts as a rhythmic interjection, functioning similarly to the 'hey' found in sea shanties.
Examples in context
- Hej, co to jest?Hey, what's this?This sentence shows how to use hej to ask what something is.Tatoeba #4359800 by liori, translation #3448879 by CK
- Hej, spójrz na to.Hey, look at this.This sentence shows how to use hej to tell someone to look at something.Tatoeba #3610020 by Baakamono, translation #3448912 by CK
- Hej, to jest moje.Hey, that's mine.This sentence shows how to use hej to claim ownership of something.Tatoeba #10599356 by tokzyk, translation #3444616 by CK
- Cześć! Jak leci?Hey! How's it going?
- Czołem! Miło cię widzieć.Hello! Nice to see you.
- Siema! Co u ciebie słychać?Hey! What's up with you?
- Hejka! Jak minęły twoje wakacje?Hey! How were your vacations?
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Krzysztof and Małgorzata meet by chance on the street.
- KrzysztofHej, Małgorzata! Co słychać?Hey, Małgorzata! What's up?
- MałgorzataHej, Krzysztof! Wszystko w porządku.Hey, Krzysztof! Everything is fine.
- KrzysztofIdziesz teraz do domu?Are you going home now?
- MałgorzataTak, do zobaczenia później!Yes, see you later!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hey” translations and entries hej, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hej, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
