hei1嘿
Jyutpinghei1
Yalehēi
Definition
Used to greet someone, or to express satisfaction.
- hey; used to greet someone
- used to express satisfaction
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Borrowing directly from English, this serves as an informal and friendly way to grab someone's attention. It is strictly for casual settings among friends or peers and should be avoided in professional or formal interactions. Unlike some other Cantonese particles, it functions primarily as an opening exclamation rather than a grammatical marker.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Hey, hello
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Cantonese profanity that sounds similar but carries a completely different tone and meaning. Because of this potential for misunderstanding, many native speakers prefer using 喂 to get someone's attention instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
