嘿 meaning and stroke order
Hey
How to write 嘿, stroke by stroke
15 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
Meaning of 嘿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hey
How 嘿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 黑 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嘿
嘿 is a mouth 口 next to 黑 (hēi, black), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth calling out "hey" from the dark.
嘿 (hēi) is an interjection used to get someone's attention or to show surprise, much like "hey" in English. Doubled as 嘿嘿 (hēihēi), it imitates a sly or embarrassed little laugh. Example: 嘿，你去哪儿？ (Hēi, nǐ qù nǎr?) Hey, where are you going?
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write just 黑 (hēi, black) when they mean "hey" because the two sound the same. The interjection needs the mouth radical 口 on the left.
Common words with 嘿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嘿嘿 | hēihēi | (onom.) he he; mischievous laughter | |
| 嘿咻 | hēixiū | (coll.) to make love |
嘿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 嘿
How many strokes are in 嘿?
嘿 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 嘿 mean?
嘿 (hēi) means hey. A common word with it is 嘿嘿 (hēihēi), meaning "(onom.) he he; mischievous laughter".
How do you pronounce 嘿?
嘿 is pronounced hēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 嘿?
The radical of 嘿 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嘿 under this radical.
Is 嘿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 嘿 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 嘿 the same as 嗨 (hāi) for saying hi?
Not quite. 嗨 (hāi) is a borrowed greeting like "hi", while 嘿 (hēi) is more for calling out to someone or reacting with surprise. Both are casual.
Should I be careful using 嘿咻?
Yes. 嘿咻 (hēixiū) is colloquial slang for having sex, so avoid it in polite conversation. On its own, 嘿 is harmless.