Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| hej | /ˈhɛjː/ |
| hejsan | |
| tjena | /ˈɕeːna/ (Sweden) /ˈt͡ɕeːnɑ/ (Finland) |
| tja | /ɕa/ (Sweden) /t͡ɕɑ/ (Finland) |
The phrase is used as an informal greeting to say hello or hey. The standard and most versatile form is hej, which works in almost any informal or semi-formal situation.
Which one should you use?
While hej is the standard greeting, hejsan is a slightly more playful or friendly variation similar to 'hey there' or 'hi there'. The colloquial forms tjena and its even more casual, shortened version tja are used primarily among friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hej is suitable for most informal and semi-formal settings. For a more playful tone, use hejsan. In very casual settings, especially among friends, you can use the colloquial tjena or the very casual tja. If you need a formal way to say 'good day', use God dag instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, speakers often double up the greeting to say hej hej instead of just using hej.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɛjː/
Did you know?
- While tjena and tja are common greetings today, they actually evolved from the word tjänare, which means 'servant'.
- In some social contexts, tjena can be used as a question by rising the intonation, essentially asking 'How is it going?'
Examples in context
- Hej, du ser jättebra ut.Hey, you look great.This sentence shows how to use hej to greet someone.Tatoeba #4343860 by richke, translation #3575454 by CK
- Hej tomtegubbar slå i glasen och låt oss lustiga vara!Hey you guys, bang your glasses and let us cheer!This sentence uses hej as an exclamation to get a group's attention.Tatoeba #4435241 by richke, translation #5119651 by honestlang
- Hej Tom, jag har glömt min portmonnä hemma. Tror du att du kan låna mig lite pengar?Hey Tom, I've left my purse at home. Do you think you could lend me some money?This sentence demonstrates using hej to start a casual conversation with a friend.Tatoeba #12097108 by johanrhg, translation #8982012 by sundown
- Hejsan, hur är läget?Hey, how are things?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Maja meet in a hallway.
- LucasHej, Maja!Hey, Maja!
- MajaHej, Lucas.Hey, Lucas.
- LucasHur är läget?How are things?
- MajaDet är bara bra.It is just fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hey” translations and entries hej, hejsan, tjena, tja, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hej, hejsan, tja, tjena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
