Learn Romanian › hei

hei

hey (used to call attention or express surprise) /ˈhej/

other#122 most common

Also: hi there, oi

Example sentences

Hei, ce faci?
Hey, what are you doing?
Hei! Vino aici!
Hey! Come here!
Hei, tu de acolo, oprește-te!
Hey, you over there, stop!
Hei, ai grijă pe unde mergi!
Hey, watch where you're going!
Hei, nu mă asculți deloc.
Hey, you're not listening to me at all.
Hei, credeam că ai plecat deja acasă.
Hey, I thought you'd already left for home.

Word family

hei-rupheave-ho (a rhythmic work chant for joint physical effort)
eheiemphatic form of hei, expressing stronger surprise or nostalgia
haicome on, let's go

Etymology

"Hei" is an interjection, a spontaneous vocal call rather than a word built from older roots. Forms like it appear across many unrelated languages because a rising, open-vowel shout is a natural way to get someone's attention. Romanian likely developed it independently, in parallel with similar-sounding calls in neighboring languages, rather than inheriting it from a single ancestor word.

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More Romanian words

auziyou heariarand (whereas)regulărulehaidăcome on!lumeworldîncăstillfatăgirlniciodatănever