Is Hey An Interjection? 5 Facts (When, Why & Examples)

An interjection is a word that is a part of a sentence but stands alone from the other words in the same sentence. Let us explore ‘hey’ being used as an interjection.

“Hey” can be regarded as an interjection in some contexts as it has a couple different forms and one of them can sometimes be an interjective form.

Let us take a further look into this topic with the help of multiple explanations and examples.

When is “hey” considered as an interjection?

“Hey” can be used in a multitude of different contexts. In this specific case, let us take find out when it can be considered an interjection.

“Hey” is considered as an interjection when it is more often than not placed in a sentence in a way where it functions separately from rest of the words in sentence.

Let us get a better understanding of this with an example:

1. Hey! You dropped your keys while walking.

Explanation

As one can see, ‘hey!’ as a general term is usually standalone and operates independently from the rest of the sentence.

What kind of interjection is “hey”?

There are many different categories of interjections and “hey” falls under one of them. Let us take a look.

“Hey” is usually considered an interjection of greeting, discovery, dismay or a call to attention.

Let us explore with the help of some examples as to what kind of an interjection a word like “hey” could be.

ExamplesExplanations
2. Hey! It has been pretty long since I saw you, how are you doing?Here, one can see that ‘hey!’ has been used as an interjection of greeting.
3. Hey! Please do not structure the glasses in a circular manner.On the other hand, the term ‘hey!’ in this case has been used as an interjection of call to attention.
A couple examples of ‘hey’ being used as an interjection.

Examples of “hey” as an interjection

Below are a bunch of examples on the word “hey” being put to use as an interjection. Let us check it out.

ExamplesExplanations
4. Hey! Please come in and help yourselves to some lemonade and cookies.As seen here, more often than not ‘hey!’ as an interjection is used at the beginning of sentences and also followed by an exclamation point.
5. We have been waiting for her for hours… hey! there she is.Over here as well the interjection ‘hey!’ has been used to convey discovery in the midst of wonderment over an anticipated situation.
6. I had been looking for this book since months and hey! I finally found it.Expanding on the kind of interjections mentioned in the above explanation, the word ‘hey!’ over here has been used as an interjection of discovery.
7. Hey! I was looking froward to eat the last piece of cake you just consumed.We spoke about ‘hey!’ as an interjection of dismay and in this case it fulfils that emotion as one can pinpoint the disappointment by the tone of this particular sentence.
8. Hey! You forgot your jacket in the auditorium so I brought it for you.In this particular sentence too, ‘hey!’ functions as a standalone entity, independent from the rest of the sentence and operates as an interjection of a call to attention.
9. Hey! Here are the shoes you asked to borrow from me.Once again, as is shown here, the phrase ‘hey!’ is a common interjection that is followed by an exclamation point at the start of phrases.
Few more examples of ‘hey’ being used as an interjection.

Can “hey” be considered as not an interjection?

As mentioned before, “hey” may or may not be used in many different contexts. Let us dig deeper.

“Hey” may or may not be considered as an interjection as it is primarily an exclamatory word. Since exclamatory words essentially function on their own as well, it makes the distinction between “hey” as an interjection and exclamation a little vague.

Let us explore this vagueness of the concept with examples of “hey” possibly being used in forms other than an interjection.

ExamplesExplanations
10. Hey! We all hope you’re doing better and recovering quickly.The exclamatory aspect and interjective aspect of the term ‘hey!’ overlap quite a bit and that is quite evident from the statement written here.
11. Hey! Could you please quickly help me out with my homework?For ‘hey!’ to function as an interjection it must always be followed by an exclamation point to separate it from the rest of the sentence, hence, it by default becomes an exclamatory word too.
12. Hey! I was wondering if we could meet up over this weekend since it has been so long.Exclamatory words like ‘hey!’ over here automatically turn into interjections as they interject the rest of the sentence but also stand on their own.
13. Hey! Please fill her in on all the updates since she just got back from a vacation.As mentioned before, the word “hey!” has both an exclamatory and an interjective function. They overlap significantly, and this is clear from the assertion made here.
14. Hey! You must try out the new restaurant that has opened up on eleventh street.Such exclamatory expressions like ‘hey!’ over here inevitably become interjections because in both cases they stand alone and interject the rest of the sentence.
15. Hey! Do not worry about the outcome because as long as you work hard it will be worth it.Usually ‘hey!’  automatically becomes an exclamatory word because it must always be supplemented by an exclamation point to distinguish it from the remainder of the line.
Some examples of ‘hey’ not being used as an interjection.

Conclusion

Thus, a word like “hey” can be used as an interjection. In fact, it is primarily used as an interjection more often than one might think.