hei1 hei1嘿嘿
Jyutpinghei1 hei1
Yalehēi hēi
Definition
Hehe; an onomatopoeia for a chuckle, snicker, or giggle, often indicating excitement, cheekiness, or mischief.
colloquialemotioncommunication
How it's used
Used primarily to convey a sense of mischievousness or secret delight. It often accompanies a sly facial expression or a smirk, signaling that the speaker knows something others do not. Unlike the English "hey," it is strictly an onomatopoeic representation of a chuckle rather than a greeting.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a greeting, as it will be interpreted as a strange, sinister laugh rather than a friendly hello.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
