嗨 (hāi) — (interjection) hi, hello (informal greeting, borrowed from English); (interjection) hey! (to attract attention)
Definition
嗨 (hāi) is a casual, borrowed interjection used to greet friends like 'hi' or to get someone's attention like 'hey'. It is purely colloquial — not used in writing or formal speech.
interjection
hihello (informal greeting, borrowed from English)hey! (to attract attention)
Examples
- 嗨，？hāi, Nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng?Hi, how have you been lately?
- 嗨！，。hāi! Bié zǒu, wǒ hái méi shuō wán ne.Hey! Don't go, I haven't finished talking yet.
- 嗨，！。hāi, Hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn! nǐ biàn huà zhēn dà.Hey, long time no see! You've changed so much.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
嗨 puts 口, a mouth for speech, beside 海, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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