In Hebrew, the related word chaya means living thing or animal, derived from the Hebrew word chai, meaning "life".

Although rare, Chai can also be used as a boy's name. Chaya, derived from chai was a popular female name in Hebrew. The name "Chaim" is quite a common boy's name, particularly among Orthodox Jews and in Israel. Among all Jews, both religious and secular, the toast "l´chaim", which means "to life", is frequently used when celebrating something, such as one of the high holidays, birthdays, weddings etc. See also the article about "Etz Chaim", meaning "tree of life" for more related information.

Jewish poker pro Mike Matusow can usually be seen wearing a gold Chai necklace. Some non-Jews have also adopted the symbol. Former Baseball star Wade Boggs drew a Chai in the dirt before each at-bat. Elvis Presley wore a Chai necklace while performing toward the end of his life.

Spelling and pronunciation

The most common spelling is "Chai", but the word is occasionally also spelled "Hai." The usual modern pronunciation of this word (in terms of IPA symbols) is [xai], while a transcription of the Biblical and Mishnaic pronunciation would have likely been [hai] (with pharyngeal consonant).