# hei or moi



## Setwale_Charm

I have long ignored this ambiguity but have finally decided to clarify when each of these forms of greeting is used in particular?


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## Ilmo

*Hei* is the established greeting that you can say even to unknown persons, though it its quite colloquial.
*Moi* is a of more recent origin and it is used only when greeting your good friends or, maybe, when meeting unknown persons who are actually taking part in a common area of interest.
I'd recommend using *hei*, at least towards older persons or adults of the opposite sex, it is more "secure".


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## Etcetera

Ilmo, and what about *Hei hei* and *Moi moi*? I've heard some people use these greetings. Are they used in the same meaning as just *Hei* and *Moi*, or there is some difference?


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## Ilmo

Etcetera said:


> Ilmo, and what about *Hei hei* and *Moi moi*? I've heard some people use these greetings. Are they used in the same meaning as just *Hei* and *Moi*, or there is some difference?


 
Exactly, there is no difference, doubling the greeting only makes it a bit stronger. Often that kind of double greeting is used as an answer to to single greeting of another person. Also, the double greeting is used like *bye-bye *when leaving the company of someone. Actually, the literal traduction of bye-bye is *hei hei*.
But if you say *hän on vähän hei hei*, you mean that he/she is a bit crazy.


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## Etcetera

Kiitos!



Ilmo said:


> But if you say *hän on vähän hei hei*, you mean that he/she is a bit crazy.


Oh, that's funny. In Russian, we have the expression Он/она немного с приветом (Привет is the Russian for "hi").


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## Setwale_Charm

Paljon kiitoksia, Etcetera ja Ilmo.


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