Japanese word

おおい

Pronunciation

Romajiōi

Meaning

  • interjectionhey

Example

おおい、こちらです！ō i ko chi ra de su

Hey, I'm over here!

Illustration for おおい (hey)

More examples

遠くの人に向かっておおい、聞こえますか。tō ku no hito ni mu ka tte ō i ki ko e ma su ka

Hey, can you hear me over there?

Core concept

Calls out to someone to make them notice the speaker, often from a distance.

Common phrases

  • おおい、みんなō i mi n na

    Hey, everyone

  • おおい、こっちō i ko tchi

    Hey, over here

Similar words

おいoi: A direct call used to get someone's attention, especially from nearby.
ねえnē: A casual call used to get someone's attention or invite a response.
もしもしmoshimoshi: A call used at the start of a telephone conversation to check that someone is listening.
あのうanou: A hesitant call used to get attention before asking or saying something.

Definition in Japanese

遠くにいる人などに呼びかけ、注意を向けさせるときに発する語。tō ku ni i ru hito na do ni yo bi ka ke chū i o mu ke sa se ru to ki ni has su ru go

Word origin

The interjection おおい (ōi) is related to おお (ō, an exclamation used in calling out), with い (i) added as part of its form; its full origin is not firmly established.

Usage tips

  • In natural conversation, おおい (ōi) sounds more like a loud call such as ahoy than a casual greeting such as hey.

Other meanings

  • ahoyinterjection
  • oiinterjection

Word lists with this word