hi
gb/hˈaɪ/ us/hˈaɪ/
A1
English
szia, sziasztok, helló, köszönés, üdvözlet, magas, hifi, nagy felbontású
A1
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
Hi, [name].
Hi, Sam—how was your weekend?
Szia, Sam, milyen volt a hétvégéd?
Hi everyone, thanks for coming.
Sziasztok, köszönöm, hogy eljöttetek.
I smiled and said hi as I walked past.
Learner examples
Hi, Anna.
Szia, Anna.
Hi! How are you?
Szia! Hogy vagy?
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use “hi” in very formal letters or situations where “hello” or “good morning/afternoon” may be more appropriate.
Meaning
a friendly greeting
Collocations
hi there
|hi everyone
|hi guys
|hi, how are you?
|hi, nice to meet you
|hi, sorry I'm late
|hi, it's me
|hi, can I help you?
|hi, can we talk?
|hi, thanks for calling
Synonyms
hello (More neutral and slightly more formal.)
|
hey (Often more casual; can sound abrupt in some contexts.)
Antonyms
goodbye (Used when leaving, not when greeting.)
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|social
Definition
You say “hi” to greet someone.
Used as a short, friendly greeting when you meet someone or start speaking to them.
A2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
Hi! [statement/question]
Hi—could you move your bag off the seat?
Szia, le tudnád venni a táskádat az ülésről?
Oh, hi! I didn’t realize you were here.
Jaj, szia! Nem is vettem észre, hogy itt vagy.
Hi, sorry to interrupt, but we’re starting now.
Learner examples
Hi, can you help me?
Szia, tudnál segíteni?
Oh, hi!
Jaj, szia!
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse “hi” for attention when “excuse me” is more polite to strangers.
Meaning
used to get attention
Collocations
hi, listen
|hi, sorry
|hi—can I ask you something?
|hi, wait a second
|oh, hi
|hi, I didn't see you there
Synonyms
hey (Common for getting attention; can sound more abrupt.)
|
excuse me (Politer, especially with strangers.)
Antonyms
shh (Used to ask for silence rather than attention.)
Themes
communication
|social
Definition
You say “hi” to get someone’s attention.
Used to attract someone’s attention, interrupt, or show sudden recognition or surprise.
NOUN
A2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
say hi (to [someone]); a quick hi
I just wanted to say a quick hi before I left.
Csak gyorsan be akartam köszönni, mielőtt elmentem.
Give everyone a hi from me.
Köszönj mindenkinek a nevemben.
We exchanged hellos and a quick hi in the hallway.
Learner examples
I said hi to my teacher.
Köszöntem a tanáromnak.
Just a quick hi!
Csak egy gyors szia!
Common mistake:
Learners may avoid the article: in English we often say “a quick hi,” not just “quick hi.”
Meaning
the word “hi” as a greeting
Collocations
say hi
|a quick hi
|just a hi
|wave and say hi
|stop by to say hi
|drop a hi
|send a hi
|come over to say hi
Synonyms
greeting (More general and more formal.)
|
hello (Refers to the word “hello” in the same way.)
Antonyms
farewell (A goodbye rather than a greeting.)
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|social
Definition
A “hi” is a short greeting.
The act or instance of saying “hi”; a brief greeting.
B1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
hi-[noun/adj] (e.g., hi-res, hi-fi, hi-def)
The listing includes hi-res photos of the apartment.
A hirdetésben nagy felbontású fotók is vannak a lakásról.
He collects vintage hi-fi equipment.
Vintage hifi-berendezéseket gyűjt.
This camera can shoot hi-def video.
Learner examples
I downloaded a hi-res image.
Letöltöttem egy nagy felbontású képet.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse “hi” (greeting) with “hi-” meaning “high-”; this use is mainly written and usually hyphenated.
Meaning
short for “high” in compounds
Collocations
hi-res
|hi-def
|hi-fi
|hi-tech
|hi-speed
|hi-end
|hi-quality
|hi-spec
Synonyms
high (The full form; more standard outside branding/labels.)
Antonyms
low (Opposite level or quality (often seen as low-res, low-fi).)
Themes
technology
|media
Definition
“Hi-” can mean “high-” in some words.
Used as an informal written abbreviation of “high,” especially in product names and technical descriptions (for example, hi-res, hi-fi).
Grammar
Dictionary form
hi
IPA
GB/hˈaɪ/
US/hˈaɪ/
Syllables & stress
hi (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hi)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: hi
- Comparative: hier
- Superlative: hiest
Noun
- Base: hi
- Plural: his
Word family
Expressions
hi there
1/hˈaɪ ðˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
friendly greeting phrase
“Hi there” means “hello.”
Examples
- Hi there—can I help you find something?
- Hi there, Julia! Long time no see.
- She opened the door and said, “Hi there.”
Learner examples
- Hi there!
- Hi there, Tom.
say hi (to someone)
1/sˈeɪ hˈaɪ tə sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
informal
greet someone briefly
To “say hi” means to greet someone.
Examples
- I went over to say hi to my neighbors.
- If you see Maya, say hi for me.
- He didn’t even say hi when he walked in.
Learner examples
- Say hi to your brother.
- I want to say hi.
say hi for me
1/sˈeɪ hˈaɪ fɚ mˈi/
fixed phrase
informal
send my greeting
Ask someone to greet another person for you.
Examples
- Say hi to your parents for me.
- If you talk to Ben later, say hi for me.
- Tell Nina I’m sorry I missed her, and say hi for me.
Learner examples
- Say hi to Sara for me.