also: へぇー
Expresses mild surprise, interest, or skepticism in response to new information. Often used in casual conversation.
"I'm off for a week starting tomorrow." "Oh? That's nice."
「この店のラーメン、すごくおいしいんだよ。」「へえ、本当？」
"The ramen at this place is really good." "Really? Is that so?"
へえ shows interested surprise at new information, while なんだ (なーんだ) shows surprise that resolves into disappointment or relief.
Standard hiragana spelling for this interjection.
Small-kana variant, common in casual writing.
Katakana variant, often used in manga or casual writing for emphasis.
Small-kana with long vowel mark, used for drawn-out pronunciation.
A natural exclamation; the exact origin is uncertain, but it likely developed as an onomatopoeic expression of mild surprise.