هاي
haycasual, English loan
For a casual "hi" in Qatar, young people say هاي (hay), borrowed from English, or هلا (hala). A friendlier form is يا هلا (ya hala).
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| هاي | hay | casual, English loan |
| هلا | hala | Qatari |
| يا هلا | ya hala | Qatari, friendly |
هاي (hay) is for friends and classmates and often goes with شخبارك؟ (shakhbarak), "what is your news".
Which one should you use?
هلا (hala) is native Gulf Arabic and works for any age, while هاي (hay) mostly belongs to a younger, urban crowd.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Switch to السلام عليكم (as-salamu alaykum) with older people, officials or a new acquaintance.
Did you know?
- English loans such as هاي (hay) are common in Gulf cities because many residents speak English at work.
Examples in context
- هاي، شخبارك؟hay, shakhbarakHi, how are you?
- يا هلا بعيال العمya hala bi-iyal al-ammHi there, cousins.
- هلا سارةhala saraHi Sara.
Example conversation
Sara runs into her classmate Maha at a mall in Doha.
- سارة Saraهاي مهاhay MahaHi Maha.
- Mahaيا هلا سارة، شخبارج؟ya hala Sara, shakhbarichHi Sara, how are you?
- سارة Saraتمام الحمد للهtamam alhamdulillahFine, thank God.
