Every new friendship and conversation with an old friend begins with a “hello.”
Learn how to say “hello” in Japanese at various degrees of formality, so you know how to greet everyone from your closest friend to your boss.
Plus, learn a few other useful greetings in Japanese, like “good morning” and “what’s up,” and find out when to use every new term you add to your Japanese vocabulary.
Contents
Ways To Say “Hello” in Japanese
1. Konnichiwa — Hello / Good afternoon
Japanese: こんにちは
Hiragana: こんにちは
Usage: Formal
This is the classic “hello” term that many people think of when they consider how to say hello in Japanese. It’s a way of saying hello to someone that’s appropriate for almost all formal and informal interactions.
Since this word technically means “good afternoon,” it’s mostly used during the day (after the morning but before the evening).
2. Ohayō gozaimasu — Good morning
Japanese: おはようございます
Hiragana: おはようございます
Usage: Formal
This is the formal way of saying “good morning.” It’s best to use when meeting with a superior or someone you don’t know well in the early hours.
You can drop the second part of the phrase to get the informal version of this phrase, Ohayou. If you’ve been working at the same place or been part of the same class for a long time, this would be an appropriate way to greet everyone in the morning.
3. Konbanwa — Good evening
Japanese: こんばんは
Hiragana: こんばんは
Usage: Formal
You can use this phrase when greeting someone in the evening. This is specifically used as a greeting in the evening. You wouldn’t use it as a send-off when saying “good night” to someone (you do that with おやすみなさい , oyasuminasai).
4. Yā! / Ya hō! — Hi (Informal)
Hiragana: やあ / やっほー！
Usage: Informal
This is the equivalent of saying “hi,” “yo” or “hey” in English. It’s appropriate for greeting a close friend, though it can also be used to get someone’s attention.
It’s an enthusiastic way to say hello, and as such is often used by the younger generation.
5. Ōi! / Osu! / Ossu!— Hey! (Informal)
Hiragana: おーい！/ おす！/ おっす！
Usage: Informal
These are more like exclamations than greetings, but they’re useful if you need to get someone’s attention, similar to saying “hey you.”
All three words can be seen as gruff and masculine, and are mostly used mostly between young men.
6. Yo! — Yo! (Informal)
Japanese: よぉ！
Hiragana: よぉ！
Usage: Informal
This is another exclamation used when trying to get the attention of someone you know very well. This is typically said by younger men, but any gender can use it.
7. Ikaga osugoshi desu ka? — How are you doing? (Very Formal)
Japanese: いかがお過ごしですか？
Hiragana: いかが おすごし ですか？
Usage: Formal
This is a formal way to ask how someone is doing. Use this phrase when connecting with a manager, an older person or someone of authority who you don’t know very well.
8. O genki desu ka? — How are you? (Formal)
Japanese: お元気ですか？
Hiragana: おげんきですか？
Usage: Formal
This is a good phrase to use after greeting a somewhat new friend or someone you don’t know well. The literal meaning is “Are you healthy?”
It’s a formal phrase that you can use with friends and family as well and implies a very earnest interest in how someone is doing.
Don’t lead straight in with this phrase: Make sure you say “hello” first, or your greeting may seem abrupt and unnatural.
9. Genki datta? — How are you? (Informal)
Japanese: 元気だった？
Hiragana: げんき だった?
Usage: Informal
This phrase is a casual way to ask how someone’s been doing. Its informal nature makes it a good option for greeting friends.
You can also completely drop the second half and simply ask, Genki?
10. Kyōwa donna kanji? — How are you today? (Informal)
Japanese: 今日は、どんな感じ？
Hiragana: きょうは、どんな かんじ ？
Usage: Informal
This phrase literally means “How is it today?” and is appropriate for most social interactions, especially when it comes to building rapport with your coworkers.
11. Saikin dō? / Nani ka atta? — What’s up? (Informal)
Hiragana: さいきん どう？ / なんか あった？
Usage: Informal
Saikin dō? implies the question “How have you been?” while Nani ka atta? can literally be translated as “What happened?” or “What’s happening?”
You can use either phrase when you meet up with a friend, especially after they had some kind of event, like a job interview or confessing their love to their crush. You might receive a response somewhere along the lines of “I had a good day” or “I’ve been good.”
12. Dōyo? — How’s it going?
Japanese: どうよ？
Hiragana: どうよ？
Usage: Informal
This phrase usually follows a greeting and is a casual way to inquire how someone’s doing. It literally means “How is it?” and the closest equivalent in English is “How’s life?”
13. Chōshi dō? — How’s it hangin’?
Japanese: 調子どう？
Hiragana: ちょうし どう？
Usage: Informal
The literal translation is “How is your condition?” and shouldn’t be used with someone of higher social position than you. Instead, this phrase is best used with very good friends in which you have a goofy, fun-loving relationship.
14. Moshi moshi — Hello?
Japanese: もしもし
Hiragana: もしもし
Usage: Informal and formal
This isn’t the kind of phrase you’d use in real life, but rather when picking up the phone.
Watch this video to see Abe-chan the bird demonstrate how to properly use this phrase!
More Japanese Greetings
15. O ai dekite kōeidesu — It’s an honor to meet you (Very formal)
Japanese: お会いできて光栄です
Hiragana: おあいできて こうえいです
Usage: Formal
This is a very formal way to meet someone for the first time.
It’s a good one if you’re meeting a potential new employer, for example, or a superior.
16. Hajime mashite — Nice to meet you (formal)
Japanese: 初めまして
Hiragana: はじめまして
Usage: Formal
This is the relatively more informal version of the previous phrase. Note that it’s still polite and still a slightly formal phrase, as you’re using it with someone you’ve met for the first time!
When meeting somebody at a party, bar or at an event that’s not exactly a professional setting, this is the phrase you’d use.
17. Watashi no namae wa… — My name is…
Japanese: 私の名前は…
Hiragana: わたし の なまえ は。。。
Usage: Formal and informal
If you’re meeting someone for the first time, you can use this phrase to tell them your name. To make the phrase a bit less formal, you can drop the Watashi no part and just say “Namae wa…,” which literally means “Name is…”
You can also ask for the other person’s name with this phrase: Namae wa nan desu ka? — 名前は何ですか？ (なまえ は なん です か？).
18. Daijōbu desu ka? — Are you okay? (formal)
Japanese: 大丈夫ですか？
Hiragana: だいじょうぶ ですか？
Usage: Formal
This is another phrase you’ll hear on television a lot, typically after someone has been hurt or embarrassed.
In everyday situations, you can use it if you notice someone is struggling, or if you’re greeting a friend with a long face. Think of it as asking “You good?”
19. Daijōbu? — Are you okay? (informal)
Japanese: 大丈夫？
Hiragana: だいじょうぶ？
Usage: Informal
This is the shorter, less-formal way of asking if someone is okay.
20. Tadaima! — I’m home!
Japanese: ただいま！
Hiragana: ただいま！
Usage: Informal
This phrase is a pretty interesting phenomenon in Japan. Many Japanese people use it when entering their home after a long day, even if they live alone.
You’ll see this in Japanese movies and television quite often and it is definitely a habit commonly found across the country.
The proper response when someone comes home and says this phrase, is Okaerinasai (おかえりなさい ) — Welcome back.
21. Irasshaimase! / Maido, irasshaimase — Welcome! (Formal)
Japanese: いらっしゃいませ！ / 毎度、いらっしゃいませ
Hiragana: いらっしゃいませ！/ まいど、いらっしゃいませ
Usage: Formal
If you visit Japan, you’ll definitely hear this phrase at least a few times. The literal translation of “Maido, irasshaimase” is “each time” or “every time,” which essentially means “we will always welcome you.” The maido is often dropped to just say “welcome!”
This is a common phrase you’ll hear when entering convenience stores or restaurants. It’s not typically a greeting you’d use yourself, but rather one that you’ll hear said to you.
When you’re greeted with Irasshai mase! you can respond with a smile and a nod, or by saying thank you (arigatou gozaimasu) or hello (konnichiwa).
22. Maido — Welcome (Informal)
Japanese: 毎度
Hiragana: まいど
Usage: Informal
This is the less formal version of the previous phrase. While the previous phrase is heard in businesses and is generally directed to you, maido can simply be used to say “hi” any time of day with anyone.
This greeting is an example of Kansai-ben and is more often used in the Kansai region of Japan.
23. Yōkoso! — Welcome home / Welcome to Japan!
Japanese: ようこそ！
Hiragana:ようこそ！
Usage: Informal
This is an extremely common phrase to say after someone arrives after a long flight or traveling a long way. You’ll hear people say this when you arrive in Japan.
You may also hear the more formal version, 日本へようこそ！ (Nihon e youkoso) or “Welcome to Japan!”
If you’re being greeted by an acquaintance or someone hired to pick you up from the airport, a simple arigatou will do. For a friend or family member, an enthusiastic ただいま (tadaima) is a good response.
24. O hisashi buri desu — Long time no see (formal)
Japanese: お久しぶりです
Hiragana: おひさしぶりです
Usage: Formal
This phrase is the equivalent of “Long time no see” or “It’s been a while” in English.
It usually follows a basic “hello” greeting and is used in frank and informal circumstances, like with an old friend or absent family member.
25. Hisashi buri — Long time no see (informal)
Japanese: 久しぶり！
Hiragana: ひさしぶり！
Usage: Informal
When you drop the “o” off O hisashi buri desu, you get this less formal version. It’s used a lot in Japanese and literally just means “long time.” As a general rule, the formal version is more often used by women than men.
Why Should I Learn So Many Japanese Greetings?
- Japanese is a very detailed language and the standard “hello” may not be appropriate for every interaction. You have different words for answering the phone, greeting your boss or talking to your best friend.
- Broadening your vocabulary will only improve your Japanese fluency. That’s the goal, isn’t it? The more Japanese vocabulary you know, the better you’ll be at Japanese!
- Many of the greetings are very simple to understand and fun to learn. Some Japanese phrases can be very complex, but thankfully these awesome greetings are very simple for the beginner to learn.
- These phrases are great for travelers as well as beginner learners who want to start a conversation with a Japanese person.
- All of these phrases are basic phrases used almost universally by Japanese people, making them important phrases to write down, study and memorize.
If you’d like to see these Japanese greetings in context, you could also try a language learning program such as FluentU. It uses authentic content such as movie clips, commercials, music videos and more.
With the help of interactive subtitles, you can immediately see the hiragana spelling of the words and the English definitions.
You also have the chance to practice what you’ve learned with additional features such as personalized quizzes. Plus, there are even iOS and Android apps for you to take your Japanese studies with you on the go.
These Japanese phrases weren’t that difficult to grasp, were they? Good luck with your studies and don’t forget to 練習 (れんしゅう, practice)!
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