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March 24, 2026
嘿hēi(hei1)
The character 嘿 (hēi) is an informal greeting equivalent to 'hey' in English. It is often used to attract someone's attention or to express familiarity and friendliness. Additionally, it can imply a sense of quietness or silence in certain contexts, but its primary usage is as an exclamation.
Strokes15Radical口Frequency#109DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, informal greetings like 嘿 are often used among younger generations, reflecting a more relaxed approach to social interactions. It mirrors the value placed on friendships and casual relationships in modern urban life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a cheerful person waving and saying 'hey' to friends at a party, emphasizing the informal and friendly nature of the greeting. The character 嘿 looks like a person (口) calling out (嘿) to others, making it easier to remember its sound and meaning.
Meanings of 嘿
hēi(hei1)
1hey
2quiet, silent
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 嘿 means.
About 嘿
嘿Simplified
15Strokes
口Radical
叹词tàncíinterjection (interj.)Part of Speech
#109Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 嘿
Podcast: 嘿
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AI Study Notes for 嘿
Usage Notes
This term is very informal and should be avoided in formal situations. It is commonly used among friends or peers, but using it in a professional or serious context may come off as disrespectful. Learners should also note the tone; it is pronounced with a high, level tone.
HSK Study Tips
At HSK level 6, learners should focus on integrating 嘿 into casual conversation and recognizing its informal nature. It connects well with other colloquial expressions, enhancing conversational skills. Understanding nuances in greetings can improve fluency.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 嘿 with more formal greetings and use it inappropriately, such as saying 嘿 to a teacher or in a business meeting. Instead, use 你好 (nǐ hǎo) in those situations.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 嘿
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How Well Do You Know 嘿?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 嘿 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
嘿 = 口 + 黑. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 嘿
IDS Structure⿰口黑
嘿Full Character
=
口kou3
left
黑Hei1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 嘿?
How to say hey in Chinese
“hey” in Chinese is嘿hēi
The character 嘿 (hēi) is an informal greeting equivalent to 'hey' in English. It is often used to attract someone's attention or to express familiarity and friendliness. Additionally, it can imply a sense of quietness or silence in certain contexts, but its primary usage is as an exclamation.
When to use 嘿
This term is very informal and should be avoided in formal situations. It is commonly used among friends or peers, but using it in a professional or serious context may come off as disrespectful. Learners should also note the tone; it is pronounced with a high, level tone.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 嘿 with more formal greetings and use it inappropriately, such as saying 嘿 to a teacher or in a business meeting. Instead, use 你好 (nǐ hǎo) in those situations.
Write 嘿
嘿
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Practice writing 嘿 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 嘿
嘿 functions as an interjection — a standalone exclamation. It typically opens the sentence (啊！哎呀！) and is set off by a pause or comma. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
