# הי - Hi or Hey?



## .Lola.

Hello, 

I apologize for a stupid question.

If I transcribe (... *הי* (שלום, מה נשמע  into English, would it be HEY (which I mostly hear) or HI?
I was just arguing with somebody that  HEY is correct but I want to make sure. 

Thanks a lot


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## Le Bélier

.Lola. said:


> Hello,
> 
> I apologize for a stupid question.



The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked. 



.Lola. said:


> If I transcribe (... *הי* (שלום, מה נשמע  into English, would it be HEY (which I mostly hear) or HI?
> I was just arguing with somebody that  HEY is correct but I want to make sure.



Hi = הַי and Hey = הֵי according to Milon Morfix. Both are used in the US, but the latter is very casual, and in times past, was considered bad manners to use. Of course, that doesn't stop people from using it.


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## scriptum

If I am not mistaken, _*hey*_ should be written with double yod (היי).


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## .Lola.

Thanks for the answers. So when there's written הי שלום would you read it "Hi, shalom"? I just can't help it but I have the feeling I've never heard it. (it was always "Hey, shalom".) But maybe I am wrong.


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## Nunty

scriptum said:


> If I am not mistaken, _*hey*_ should be written with double yod (היי).


I think you're right, but I think that many people avoid the double yod either for religious reasons or to avoid offense, or just because they have the habit of doing so.


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## Outsider

Are these interjections loans from English?


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## Nunty

Outsider said:


> Are these interjections loans from English?


Yes they are.


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## scriptum

Nun-Translator said:


> Yes they are.


As a matter of fact, when I have to use "hey", I usually borrow it from Russian...


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## Nunty

scriptum said:


> As a matter of fact, when I have to use "hey", I usually borrow it from Russian...


I stand corrected in your case. I borrow it from English, though.


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## scriptum

.Lola. said:


> Thanks for the answers. So when there's written הי שלום would you read it "Hi, shalom"? I just can't help it but I have the feeling I've never heard it. (it was always "Hey, shalom".) But maybe I am wrong.


"Hey shalom" it is. To say "Hi shalom" would be saying the same thing twice.


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## .Lola.

Thank you everybody. 
It seems that I was right.


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## sawyeric1

Nunty said:


> ... I think that many people avoid the double yod either for religious reasons or to avoid offense ...



Why would it be offensive? What religious reasons? People avoid double yod in all words? A lot of words I've learned have the double yod spelling ...

Just to recap - so if it's spelled הי it's pronounced "hi" and if היי then "hey"?


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## Drink

sawyeric1 said:


> Why would it be offensive? What religious reasons? People avoid double yod in all words? A lot of words I've learned have the double yod spelling ...
> 
> Just to recap - so if it's spelled הי it's pronounced "hi" and if היי then "hey"?



I don't think there is any religious reason here. What Nunty may have meant was that a double yud on its own is an abbreviation for the tetragrammaton; however, as you pointed out, many words have a double yud in them and it's not a problem.


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## sawyeric1

יי is an abbreviation for יהוה‎? It only has one י though


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## Drink

I don't know the exact reason for it, but it is.


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