# hej
## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈɦɛj]

### Interjection

hej
* hey, hi (an exclamation to call attention)

## Danish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /hɑj/, [hɑ̈j]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aj

### Interjection

hej
* hi, hello
* (less common) bye

#### Synonyms

* (hi): goddag

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “hi”): farvel

## Esperanto
### Etymology

From Polish hej, English hey, German hei, Latin heus.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)
* IPA: [hej]
* Hyphenation: hej

### Interjection

hej
* (neologism, informal) hey

## Greenlandic
### Interjection

hej
* hi, hello

#### See also

* aluu

## Hungarian
### Etymology

An onomatopoeia.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈhɛj]
* Hyphenation: hej
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛj
* Homophone: hely

### Interjection

hej
* oh!
* hey!

### References

* ↑ hej in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)

### Further reading

* (interjection expressing sorrow, dismay, amazement etc.): hej in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
* (interjection to attract attention): hej in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

## Polish
### Etymology

Onomatopoeic. Compare Slovak hej.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈxɛj/
* (Lesser Poland):
** (Goral):
*** (Żywiec) IPA: /ˈxɛj/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛj
* Syllabification: hej

### Interjection

hej
* hey (call for attention)
* (colloquial) hi, hey (greeting)
* (dialectal or, Żywiec) yeah, yep
    Synonyms: ano, tak, jo

### Further reading

* hej in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* hej in Polish dictionaries at PWN
* Izydor Kopernicki (1875) “hej”, in “Spostrzeżenia nad właściwościami językowémi w mowie Górali Bieskidowych z dodatkiem słowniczka wyrazów góralskich”, in Rozprawy i Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Filologicznego Akademii Umiejętności (I), volume 3, Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności, page 371

## Serbo-Croatian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɦɛj/

### Interjection

hej (Cyrillic spelling хеј)
* hi (greeting)
* hey (exclamation, call for attention)

## Slovak
### Etymology

Compare Polish hej.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɦɛj/

### Interjection

hej
* (colloquial) yeah, yep
    Synonym: áno
    Antonym: nie
* hey (exclamation)

### Further reading

* “hej”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

## Swedish
### Etymology

Derived from Old Norse hei, likely from Low German hei or German hei. First attested in 1541.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈhɛjː/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛj

### Interjection

hej
* hi, hello [since 1710]
    Jag sa hej till din bror i mataffären igår.I said hi to your brother at the super market yesterday.
    Hej hej.Hello hello.
** 1960, Britt Lindeborg (lyrics and music), “Hej, mitt vinterland [Hey [or "hi / hello"], my winterland]”, in Julefrid med Carola [Christmas peace / serenity with Carola]‎, performed by Carola:Hej, mitt vinterland, nu är jag här. Nu biter frosten i min kind, ty kall är kvällen. Hej, mitt vinterland, se månen där. Den lyser kyligt trind / kring [differs between versions] på mörka himlapällen. Bjällrans klang friden stör, när vi genom skogen kör. Bofink uti grannens topp, förlåt att vi väckte dig opp. Hej, mitt vinterland, nu är jag här. Och vinter ["vintern" (definite) in some versions], håll i dig / på vinterholiday [possibly the original lyrics, then misunderstood or changed], nu blinkar stugans ljus mot mig, i mitt vita vinterland.Hey [or "hi / hello"], my winterland, now I am here. Now the frost bites my cheek, for the evening is cold. Hey, my winterland, look at the moon there. It shines cool and plump / coolly around ["coolly round/plump / around" – differs between versions] in the dark canopy of the sky. The sound of the [jingle] bell disturbs the peace as we ride [drive] through the forest. Chaffinch at [in] the top of the spruce, we're sorry for waking you up [sorry for that we woke you up]. Hey, my winterland, now I am here. And winter, brace yourself / on winter holiday [ad hoc], now the [Christmas, probably] lights of the cottage twinkle ["blink" – tindra (“twinkle”) is less common for electric lights in Swedish] at [toward] me, in my white winterland.
* (less common) bye
    Synonym: hej då
    Vi syns, hej.See ya, bye.
    Hej hej.Bye bye.
* An expression of intensity (in some expressions); hey
    Hej vad det går!"Hey how it (stuff, like a party) goes!"
** 1982, Gyllene Tider (lyrics and music), “Sommartider [Summer times]”‎:Sommartider, hej, hej, sommartider. Ge mig din hunger, ge mig din hand. Ge mig allt du vill och allt du kan. Sommartider, hej, hej, sommartider. Läppar mot läppar som tar mig i land. Som ger sommartider till varann.Summer times, hey, hey, summer times. Give me your hunger, give me your hand. Give me everything that you want and everything that you can. Summer times, hey, hey, summer times. Lips against lips, that take me ashore. That give summer times to each other.
* A filler, in some expressions; hey [since 1849]
    Hej och håHey ho

#### Usage notes

* The most common greeting. Neutral in tone, like English hi, hello. The corresponding farewell hej då is similarly neutral, like English bye, goodbye.
* Traditionally an informal greeting, in modern Swedish it is often found in formal letters or e-mails, where sometimes in English Dear Sir or Madam would be preferred.

#### Derived terms

* hej kom och hjälp mig

#### See also

* hälsa (“to greet”)
* hälsning
* hälsningsfras
* med vänliga hälsningar

#### See also (greetings)

* ey
* god afton
* god eftermiddag
* god kväll
* god middag
* god morgon
* goddag
* halloj
* hallå
* hallå där
* hej hopp
* hej hopp, gummisnopp
* hej på dig
* hejsan
* hejsan hoppsan
* hejsan svejsan
* hojt
* mors
* morsning
* morsning korsning
* sho
* tja
* tjabba
* tjena
* tjena mittbena
* tjenamors
* tjenare
* tjenis penis
* tjenixen
* tjo
* tjoflöjt
* tjohopp
* tjolahopp
* tjosan
* var hälsad

#### See also (farewells)

* adjö
* farväl
* god natt
* gonatt
* ha det
* ha det bra
* ha det gott
* ha det gött
* hej då
* hej svejs
* på återseende
* sug och svälj, trevlig helg
* tack och hej leverpastej
* trevlig helg
* trevlig resa
* trevligt veckoslut
* vi hörs
* vi ses
* vi syns
* This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.For other Swedish entries on this topic, see Greetings.

### References

* hej in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* hej in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* 1 2 3 hej in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)