Everyday expressionshey! (to get attention, or in surprise) interjection
- hée high
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
hey! (calling out to someone) interjection in some lyrics
- hee mid
- Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
You'll hear เฮhee in Kon Mee Sanae (คนมีเสน่ห์).
How to use it
เฮ้hée, said high, is the English hey: calling out to a friend, เฮ้ รอด้วยhée raw dûay, hey, wait for me!, or warning someone, เฮ้ ระวังhée rá-wang, look out! It's casual: to get a stranger's or an older person's attention, say ขอโทษครับkǎw-tôot kráp or ขอโทษค่ะkǎw-tôot kâ, excuse me. Among close friends you'll also hear เฮ้ยhóei, a rougher hey! or whoa!, too blunt for anyone else. Song lyrics sometimes spell it เฮhee, which on its own is a cheer, hooray. A casual "hey" to say hi is หวัดดีwàt-dii or ว่าไงwâa ngai: see hello in Thai.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- hei
Read more
- Phrase How to say “hello” in Thai How to say hello in Thai: สวัสดีครับ for men, สวัสดีค่ะ for women. Hear it, learn the wai and casual hellos, and why 'sawadika' is close but not quite.
- Song Kon Mee Sanae (คนมีเสน่ห์) A cheeky, much-loved hit: a guy who has always teased a girl about her looks admits that, taken as a whole, she is wonderfully charming, and that he only teased her because he didn't know how to flirt. It teaches charm, the more… the more…, each, all in all, flirting, and the teasing that hides a crush.
More everyday expressions in Thai
All everyday expressions- ยินดีต้อนรับ yin-dii dtâwn-ráp Welcome in Thai
- ขอบคุณ kàwp-kun Thank you in Thai
- ใช่ châi Yes in Thai
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones