French word

hein

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛ̃/

Meaning

  • interjectionright?

Example

Tu viens, hein ?

You're coming, right?

Illustration for hein (right?)

More examples

C'est bien, hein ?

It's good, right?

Core concept

A small conversational hook at the edge of a sentence, opening space for surprise, repetition, or agreement.

Common phrases

  • Tu viens, hein ?

    You're coming, right?

Similar words

pardon: A courteous request for repetition after failing to hear something.
quoi: A terse question meaning what?
comment: A brief question asking for the words that were just spoken.

Definition in French

Exprime étonnement, demande de répétition ou vérification, employée seule ou en fin d'énoncé.

Word origin

French hein is an old interjection generally regarded as imitative, reflecting a brief vocal reaction in spoken conversation.

Usage tips

  • Hein is pronounced with a nasal vowel, approximately like the vowel in French vin, not like English "hen".

Other meanings

  • huh?interjection

Word lists with this word