“Hi” here is what’s called an interjection. Sort of like if you were trying to suddenly stop your friend George from doing something and you said “No, George!”, “no” would be the interjection. In the same way you would say “No, George!” instead of “No George!” (which reads like you’re protesting the existence of George), you would be technically correct in saying “Hi, George!” However, nobody would seriously care outside a grammar class if you said “Hi George!”
The basic rule is that if you can drop the name and the sentence still makes sense, use a comma. It still applies to greetings, since a greeting is still a greeting whether or not you use a person’s name while doing so.
You wouldn’t use a comma if you said something like “Jack went to work.”
![When you walk into /c/lemmyshitpost to introduce a daily meme series of every line of dialogue from The Room (2003) [Day 1]](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/4ebdc47b-0f26-4322-9446-8755b1dd6b9a.png){kind=link}
Why is there a comma?
It’s a pretty accurate transcription of the line’s delivery.
That’s a correct use of a comma. You often use commas when using a persons name. Isn’t that right, Grandwolf?
“Mom, have you seen my keys?”
“I’m off to the store, Sarah.”
“My best bud, Zach, is a geologist.”
But that’s when you make a statement then draw attention to the person. Like:
“Don’t you see, Depress_mode”
So having the comma there makes it sound like he isn’t saying hi to someone, he is saying hi, then focusing attention on them.
Idk, I always thought greetings meant no comma cause the name is the subject and not a follow up point.
“Hi” here is what’s called an interjection. Sort of like if you were trying to suddenly stop your friend George from doing something and you said “No, George!”, “no” would be the interjection. In the same way you would say “No, George!” instead of “No George!” (which reads like you’re protesting the existence of George), you would be technically correct in saying “Hi, George!” However, nobody would seriously care outside a grammar class if you said “Hi George!”
Thanks TIL
The basic rule is that if you can drop the name and the sentence still makes sense, use a comma. It still applies to greetings, since a greeting is still a greeting whether or not you use a person’s name while doing so.
You wouldn’t use a comma if you said something like “Jack went to work.”
Grandwolf, you always play grammarian with us!