hey

The word "hey" is popular as an alternative to the word "hi," or it’s used when expressing surprise or sudden awareness. "Hey" is an interjection. (See note below.)

• Hey, how’s it going?
• Hey, Bob. How are you today?
• Hey, how’s everyone doing today.

The word "hey" is also used when expressing surprise:

• Hey, what’s that?
• Hey, look at that.
• Hey, hey. We won the game.
• What the hey? (This is similar to "What the heck?")

You can also use "hey" when attempting to get someone’s attention:

• Hey, can I get some help over here?
• Hey, can I get everyone’s attention, please?
• Hey! Stop doing that!

Hey! Don’t step on me!

Note: The word "hey" is an example of an interjection, which is one of the eight parts of speech. Other examples of interjections are words like yeah, oh, ow, uhm, duh, oops, and whoa.

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May 11, 2016