hei
/ˈhei̯/
The English phrase 'hi' can be said in Finnish as hei. Wiktionary also lists moi and terve.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| hei | /ˈhei̯/ |
| moi | /ˈmoi̯/ |
| terve | /ˈterʋeˣ/ |
These terms are used as friendly, informal greetings to say hi or hello. Note that doubling the greeting to hei hei changes the meaning from a greeting to a casual way of saying goodbye.
What does it mean word for word?
The greeting terve literally translates to 'healthy'.
Which one should you use?
While hei is a standard friendly greeting, moi is even more informal and common in casual spoken Finnish.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hei and moi are both used for informal greetings. Terve is also an informal greeting. If you need a formal greeting, such as 'good day', use Hyvää päivää.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhei̯/
Did you know?
- The word terve likely traces its distant linguistic roots back to ancient Indo-Iranian languages.
- Finnish culture values personal space, so these greetings are often accompanied by a slight nod rather than a handshake or a hug.
- While terve means 'healthy', using it as a greeting is similar to the Latin 'salve', which also linked greeting someone with wishing them health.
Examples in context
- Hei, oletko sinä Tom?Hi, are you Tom?This sentence shows how to use hei when asking someone's identity.Tatoeba #4044563 by Sling, translation #4036990 by Hybrid
- Hei Susan. Mitä kuuluu?Hi, Susan. How are you?This sentence uses hei to greet someone and ask how they are.Tatoeba #4973358 by Silja, translation #54605 by CN
- Hän ei edes sanonut ”hei”.He didn't even say hi.This sentence illustrates the use of hei in a sentence.Tatoeba #10317749 by Silja, translation #9350807 by Hybrid
- Hyvää päivää, olkaa hyvä ja istukaa.Good day, please have a seat.
- Moi, mitä kuuluu?Hi, how are you?
- Hyvää huomenta, voisitteko auttaa minua?Good morning, could you help me?
- Terve, oletko menossa sinne?Hey, are you going there?
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juho and Sofia meet in a hallway.
- JuhoHei, Sofia!Hi, Sofia!
- SofiaHei, Juho.Hi, Juho.
- JuhoMitä kuuluu?How are you?
- SofiaKiitos, hyvää.Thanks, good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hei, moi, terve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hei, moi, terve, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
