היי
haj
The English phrase "hi" can be said in Hebrew as היי (haj) or שָׁלוֹם.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| היי | haj |
| שָׁלוֹם | shalóm |
While היי is a common greeting, the word שָׁלוֹם also carries the meaning of "peace".
Which one should you use?
היי is a casual greeting, whereas שָׁלוֹם is a more formal or traditional greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
היי is an informal, borrowed greeting from English used frequently in casual social settings. שָׁלוֹם is a more formal option.
How do you pronounce it?
haj
Did you know?
- While שָׁלוֹם means 'peace', the root letters ש.ל.ם also form the word for 'completeness' or 'wholeness'. Greeting someone with שָׁלוֹם is effectively wishing them a state of being whole.
- In many Israeli social circles, you might skip a formal greeting entirely and simply say מה קורה ('what is happening'), which functions as a shorthand for 'hi'.
- The word שָׁלוֹם can be used as a one-word question if spoken with a rising intonation, meaning 'Is everything okay?' or 'Are we at peace?'
Examples in context
- היי, את עובדת כאן?Hi! Do you work here?This example shows how to use היי to ask a question.Tatoeba #570619 by Eldad, translation #54608 by Zifre
- היי, שמי קן סייטו.Hi, my name is Ken Saitou.This example shows how to use היי when introducing yourself.Tatoeba #1476448 by Eldad, translation #54602 by CN
- היי מימי, מה שלומך?Hi, Mimi! How are you doing?This-example shows how to use היי followed by a greeting and a question about well-being.Tatoeba #1786849 by MrShoval, translation #54601 by Zifre
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- עגור Adiהיי דניאל, מה קורה?Hi Daniel, ma kore?Hi Daniel, what's up?
- דניאל Danielהיי עגור, הכל טוב.Hi Agur, hakol tov.Hi Agur, everything is good.
- עגור Adiאתה רוצה קפה?Ata rotze kafe?Do you want a coffee?
- דניאל Danielכן, אשמח מאוד.Ken, eshmach meod.Yes, I would love to.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
