hey
gb/hˈeɪ/ us/hˈeɪ/
A1
English
~ 2900
Senses
0 senses
interjection
informal
A1
action
1
Used to call or greet someone
You say this to call to someone or say hello in a friendly way.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse 'hey' in formal situations where 'hello' or 'hi' would be more appropriate.
Synonyms
hi (A very common informal greeting, often interchangeable with 'hey' but slightly more neutral.)
|
hello (A standard and neutral greeting, more formal than 'hey'.)
Antonyms
goodbye (An opposite in terms of greeting vs. parting.)
Collocations
hey there
|hey you
|hey guys
|hey everyone
Themes
daily life
|communication
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Hey, can you help me with this?
- Hey there! Long time no see.
- Hey, did you hear the news?
- Hey guys, let's get started.
- Hey, watch where you're going!
Learner examples
- Hey, how are you?
- Hey, come here.
- Hey there!
- Hey, look at this.
- Hey, do you want some water?
interjection
informal
A2
action
2
Used to show surprise or objection
You say this when you are surprised or when you want to show you don't like something.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this use with greeting and use it in the wrong tone, causing misunderstanding.
Synonyms
whoa (Expresses strong surprise or amazement; often more intense than 'hey'.)
|
hold on (Used to pause someone or object; more directive than 'hey'.)
Antonyms
okay (An opposite in the sense of agreement rather than protest.)
Collocations
hey now
|hey wait a minute
|hey stop that
Themes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Hey! That's my seat.
- Hey, what are you doing?
- Hey now, don't be rude.
- Hey! You nearly hit me with that ball.
- Hey, wait a second!
Learner examples
- Hey! That's not fair.
- Hey, stop it.
- Hey, what is this?
- Hey now, be nice.
- Hey, wait for me.
Grammar
Expressions
hey guys
1/hˈeɪ ɡˈaɪz/
fixed phrase
informal
Casual greeting for a group
You say this to greet a group of friends or people informally.
Examples
- Hey guys, what's going on?
- Hey guys! Ready for the trip?
hey there
1/hˈeɪ ðˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
Friendly informal greeting
An informal and warm way to say hello to someone.
Examples
- "Hey there! How have you been?" she asked with a smile.
- Hey there, welcome to the neighborhood.
hey you
1/hˈeɪ jˈu/
fixed phrase
informal
Calling out to someone directly
You say this when you want to get the attention of a specific person.
Examples
- Hey you! Stop right there.
- Hey you, come join us at the table.