heia
heia is the Welsh way to say hey.
heia is used as an informal greeting.
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
heia is an informal greeting. For other popular informal ways to say hey, hi or hello, you might also encounter S'mae.
Did you know?
- In very casual Welsh, heia is often paired with bach, meaning 'small', as a term of endearment regardless of the person's size.
- Welsh is one of the few languages that uses a specific 'mutation' system, meaning the first letter of a word can change depending on the word before it, though greetings like heia generally remain stable.
- While 'heia' sounds like the English 'hey', it is actually an adaptation of the English word rather than an ancient Celtic term.
Examples in context
- S'mae! Beth sy'n digwydd?Hey! What's going on?
- Heia!Hey!
- Heia, sut wyt ti?Hey, how are you?
Example conversation
Rhys sees Elowen walking towards him in the street.
- ElowenHeia, Rhys!Hey, Rhys!
- RhysHeia, Elowen. Sut wyt ti?Hey, Elowen. How are you?
- ElowenDa iawn, diolch.Very well, thanks.
- RhysMae'n braf gweld ti.It is good to see you.
