hej!
Hi in Danish is said using hej! Wiktionary also lists hallo and dav.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Danish | IPA |
|---|---|
| hej! | |
| hallo | /halɔ/ /halɔː/ |
| dav | /davˀ/ |
The primary ways to say hello in Danish include the standard hej!, which is the most common greeting and is suitable for both formal and informal settings. You might also use hallo when answering the phone or expressing surprise at seeing someone. For more enthusiastic or excited greetings, you can use halløj.
Which one should you use?
While hej! is the standard greeting, hallo is specifically used when answering the phone or reacting to a surprise encounter.
Did you know?
- In Denmark, it is common to say hej both when arriving and when leaving a room, making it a versatile greeting and farewell.
- The word hallo shares an ancient linguistic root with the Middle High German word for 'to fetch', specifically referring to the act of calling out to a ferryman.
- Using hallo in a face-to-face conversation can sometimes sound like you are questioning someone's presence or sanity, similar to the English 'Hello? Is anyone there?'
Examples in context
- Hej!Hi.This sentence shows a simple use of hej!Tatoeba #3490185 by danepo, translation #538123 by CM
- "Hej David, hvordan har du det i dag?" "Ikke så godt, min kuglepen ligger derhjemme, og det samme gør mine hjemmeopgaver og min lærebog.""Hi David, how are you today?" "Not good, my pen is at home and so is my homework and my textbook."This sentence demonstrates the use of dav in a conversation.Tatoeba #10291466 by danepo, translation #10291304 by jimkillock
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mads and Freja meet at a coffee shop.
- MadsHej! Skal du have kaffe?Hi! Are you having coffee?
- FrejaJa, det skal jeg.Yes, I am.
- MadsJeg køber den for dig.I'll buy it for you.
- FrejaTusind tak, Mads!Thanks a lot, Mads!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hallo, dav, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dav, hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
