hello

hello — 感嘆詞

1. a word you say when you meet someone, start a conversation, or begin an email —

1.感嘆詞A1
釋義

你好；哈囉

見面或通訊時的招呼語

a word you say when you meet someone, start a conversation, or begin an email — it is the standard friendly way to greet another person in English.

例句

Kenji smiled and said hello to his new neighbour at the door.

Kenji 微笑著對門口的新鄰居說了一聲你好。

greeting someone when meeting face-to-face

Hello, Mrs. Chen! It is so nice to see you again at the market.

陳太太你好！在市場再次見到你真是太好了。

polite greeting with a person's name

同義詞
  • hi

    more casual than hello; the most common everyday alternative

  • hey

    very informal; used among friends and people of similar age

  • good morning

    more formal and time-specific; used in professional or polite settings

反義詞
  • goodbye

    hello begins an interaction; goodbye ends one

用法筆記

Common in both formal and informal contexts. It is slightly more formal than 'hi' or 'hey', but less formal than 'good morning' or 'good afternoon.'

常見錯誤

❌In a job interview, he said, Hey, what is up?
✅In a job interview, he said, Hello, it is nice to meet you.
💡'Hey' and 'what is up' are too casual for formal situations.

2. a word you say when you pick up a phone call or begin a phone conversation, usua

2.感嘆詞A1
釋義

喂

電話接通時的開場問候

a word you say when you pick up a phone call or begin a phone conversation, usually followed by identifying yourself or asking who is calling.

例句

Lakan picked up the phone and said, 'Hello, who is calling please?'

Lakan 拿起電話說：「喂，請問哪位？」

phone greeting asking who is calling

Hello, this is the dentist office on Oak Street. How can I help you?

喂，這裡是橡樹街的牙醫診所。請問有什麼可以幫您的？

phone greeting identifying your business

同義詞
  • hi

    occasionally used on the phone but less standard than hello

  • good morning

    used as a more formal telephone greeting, especially in business

用法筆記

In British English, people often state their phone number or name after hello. In American English, answering with a simple 'Hello?' without identifying yourself is also normal in personal calls.

常見錯誤

❌He answered the business line by saying, Yeah, who is it?
✅He answered the business line by saying, Hello, thank you for calling ABC Services.
💡A professional phone greeting should include the company name and a polite opening.

3. a word you call out loudly to get someone's notice — for example, to check if an

3.感嘆詞A1
釋義

喂；嗨

用來引起他人注意

a word you call out loudly to get someone's notice — for example, to check if anyone is present, to ask for help, or to stop someone who is walking away.

例句

Hello! Is there anybody in the back of the shop working today?

喂！今天店裡有人在後面工作嗎？

calling out to see if anyone is present

Ziad called out hello to see if anyone was home in the old house.

Ziad 大聲喊喂，看看那棟老房子裡有沒有人在家。

同義詞
  • hey

    more informal; often used to get the attention of someone you know

  • excuse me

    more polite; used when approaching a stranger for help in a quiet setting

用法筆記

Often said with a raised voice. When you do not know the person, adding 'there' ('Hello there!') can make the call sound friendlier and less abrupt.

常見錯誤

❌Hello, can you hear me?' (when the person is right in front of you ignoring you — better to use a clearer call)
✅Hello! Are you listening?
💡When trying to catch someone's attention from a distance, say 'hello' louder and add a short question.

4. a word said with a rising tone to point out that someone has just said something

4.感嘆詞B1
釋義

喂；搞什麼

提醒對方注意的責備用語

a word said with a rising tone to point out that someone has just said something foolish, made an obvious mistake, or is clearly not focused on what is happening around them.

例句

Lucía said, 'Hello!' when her brother walked straight into the glass door.

Lucía 在她弟弟一頭撞上玻璃門時說了一聲：「喂！」

said sarcastically when someone makes an obvious mistake

You just dropped your wallet on the floor — hello, are you even awake?

你的錢包剛剛掉到地上了——喂，你到底醒了沒有？

同義詞
  • hey

    can carry a similar tone of disbelief or frustration ('Hey, watch where you are going!')

  • excuse me

    used more politely to point out a mistake; less sarcastic than hello in this sense

用法筆記

The tone of voice is important here — a rising, questioning pitch on 'hello' signals sarcasm or frustration, not a friendly greeting. This sense is common in spoken English but rare in writing except in dialogue.

常見錯誤

❌Writing 'hello' in this sense in a formal email (readers will be confused).
✅Reserve this use for informal spoken situations with people you know well, or for dialogue in stories.

5. a word you say when you are pleasantly surprised by something unexpected — such

5.感嘆詞A2
釋義

哎呀；哇

表達驚訝的反應

a word you say when you are pleasantly surprised by something unexpected — such as running into an old friend, discovering something impressive, or seeing a big change.

例句

Well, hello! I did not expect to see you here at the library today.

哎呀！我沒想到會在圖書館這裡遇見你。

well hello — expressing surprise at an unexpected meeting

Hello! That cake is twice the size of the one I ordered last week.

哇！那個蛋糕比我上週訂的那個大一倍。

同義詞
  • oh

    a neutral exclamation of surprise without the friendly tone of hello

  • wow

    expresses stronger admiration or amazement than hello

  • well

    often used together with hello ('Well, hello!') to create the surprised tone

用法筆記

Often combined with 'well' to form 'Well, hello!' which adds a tone of amused or delighted surprise. The surprise can be positive (admiration) or neutral (unexpected discovery).

常見錯誤

❌Hello, I am surprised to see you' (too literal — English speakers do not combine 'hello' and 'surprised' in one sentence this way).
✅Well hello! What a surprise to see you here.
💡The word hello itself carries the surprise, so you do not need to add 'I am surprised.'

hello — 名詞