Talk:hai

Informal or formal

I always thought ええ was informal. ? --Vladisdead 11:50, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)

ええ is little more formal. —This unsigned comment was added by 219.173.119.31 (talk • contribs) 11:53, 26 July 2004‎ (UTC).

On signs

I have seen 'hai' written on signs in protests by Muslims. Does anyone know what the word means in this context?

Muslims speak many languages, so it’s necessary to know the particular nationality/ethnic group of the people you are referring to. I believe 'hai' in Urdu (ہے) is a verb form meaning something like is. —Stephen 04:40, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

The protests were in response to recent papal comments; I imagine the word was used as an Arabic word. Where I have also seen it is in the novel Dune by Frank Herbert, where the author has employed many references to Arab culture to describe the Fremen people on the planet Dune. The word was used as an antagonistic 'come and fight me'.

If it’s Arabic, it’s very difficult to say what it might be. Arabic has two or three different kinds of "h" and numerous ways that both "a" and "i" might be written. The only way to understand it would be to see it written in Arabic, preferably in context. Some possibilities: Template:ARchar (ħayy), meaning living, live, alive, lively, active, etc.; or a form of the verb Template:ARchar (ħayya), to live, to experience, to witness; or Template:ARchar (ħayiy), shy, modest; or possibly Template:ARchar (hai), here I am; or a form of the verb Template:ARchar (ha’a), to be shapely, to be beautiful to look at; or Template:ARchar (hayi’), good-looking, handsome. Some Arabic consonants such as Template:ARchar and Template:ARchar are often not written at all in transliteration, so the possibilities are very many. Arabic generally has to be written in Arabic before it can be properly understood because the English alphabet does not begin to represent many of their sounds. —Stephen 05:53, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

English Pronunciation?

Is the English supposed to be read as /haI/, like the Japanese for "Yes," as a way to spell, "Hi"; or is the English supposed to read as /heI/, as a way to spell, "Hey," based on the digraph of "ai" where the silent 'i' makes the 'a' "long" (as in "sail" and "wait")? --50.149.180.189 10:26, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I assume you are talking about the English word hai. If so, it is pronounced like hi. —Stephen ^(Talk) 22:21, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

The spelling of the LOLspeak hai is likely influenced by Japanese hai, especially in the variant ohai, but the meaning and typical pronunciation is identical to hi. Arlo Barnes (talk) 05:01, 26 April 2018 (UTC)