嘿 Siri
hei Siri
The phrase "hey siri" in Cantonese is 嘿 Siri (hei Siri).
This phrase is the wake word used to activate the Apple virtual assistant in Cantonese.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Macau, a way to address Siri is 喂 Siri.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is hei Siri.
Did you know?
- Cantonese speakers often add a particle like 喎 or 呀 at the end of a request to Siri to make the command sound less like a robotic order and more like a natural question.
- The character 嘿 is relatively rare in traditional spoken Cantonese and was largely popularized as a written representation of the English word 'hey'.
- If you accidentally say 喂 Siri in a crowded Cantonese restaurant, people might think you are actually shouting to a waiter or a friend nearby.
Example conversation
Ka Yan is showing Chun Kit how to use her phone.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你看，我只要講嘿 Siri 就可以查天氣。nei5 hon3, ngo5 zi1 jiu3 gong2 hey siri zau6 ho2 ji5 caa4 tin1 hei3.Look, I can check the weather just by saying Hey Siri.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit真係好方便喎！zan1 hai6 hou2 fong1 bin1 wo3!That's really convenient!
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係唔係，你要唔要試下？hai6 m4 hai6, nei5 jiu3 m4 jiu3 si3 haa2?Right? Do you want to try it?
- 俊傑 Chun Kit好呀，等我試下。hou2 aa3, dang2 ngo5 si3 haa2.Sure, let me try.
