เฮ้ย
hoei
The Thai word เฮ้ย (hoei) means "hey" in English.
เฮ้ย is used as an exclamation to get someone's attention or to express sudden surprise/shock.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English 'hey' which is often a friendly greeting, the Thai เฮ้ย can sound aggressive or rude if used with strangers or superiors.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using เฮ้ย to greet someone is very informal and should only be used with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
hoei
When do people say it?
The 'wai' is a Thai gesture where you place your palms together in a prayer-like position in front of your chest and bow slightly to greet someone. In Northern Thailand, people might greet each other with Sawasdee Jao instead of Sawasdee Krub/Ka.
Did you know?
- While เฮ้ย is an exclamation, Thais often use the word ฮัลโหล to say 'hello' on the phone, which is a loanword from English that is almost never used in person.
- In Thai culture, calling out to someone with เฮ้ย without using a name or title can be perceived as treating the other person like a servant.
- A sudden use of เฮ้ย can actually be a way to warn a friend of immediate danger, similar to shouting 'watch out!' in English.
Examples in context
- เฮ้ย จะไปไหนน่ะhoei cha pai nai naHey, where are you going?
- เฮ้ย ดูนั่นสิhoei du nan siHey, look at that.
- เฮ้ย มานี่หน่อยhoei ma ni noiHey, come here a moment.
Example conversation
Two friends encounter each other unexpectedly on a street.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritเฮ้ย ณิชา!hoei Nicha!Hey, Nicha!
- ณิชา Nichaอ้าว ธนกฤต สวัสดีao Thanakrit sawatdiOh, Thanakrit, hello.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritไม่ได้เจอกันนานเลยนะmai dai cho kan nan loei naIt has been a long time.
- ณิชา Nichaใช่ สบายดีไหมchai sabai di maiYes, how are you?
