“Good Morning” in Japanese and 19 More Greetings

Source: ramatniseko.com

Japanese culture is one with deep-rooted formalities, so the need to show respect in the form of greeting is quite important. Unlike other cultures with more casual ways of greeting, this culture requires that a bow accompanies your salutations. In fact, as an expat, it is one of the easiest ways to gain acceptance into communities. It is safe to say it is a culture of respect, as many put it.

This article serves as a guide on how to say “good morning” in Japanese in multiple ways.

 

How do Japanese People Greet One Another

If you happen to be a fan of Anime or have seen Japanese movies, you most likely already have a basic understanding of the formalities associated with greetings in Japan. If you wish to relocate to or study in the country, we strongly suggest mastering the art of greetings.You can also check our article on how to learn Japanese. More than mere words, sometimes you will need to bow your head, in show of respect, especially to an elderly one, boss, etc. Depending on the situation, a 15 – 90 degrees inclination will suffice.

Source: fun-japan.jp

Below is a list of twenty ways to say “good morning” or greet someone in Japanese:

  1. Good morning (informal) – Ohayō (おはよう)

  2. Good morning (formal) – Ohayō gozaimasu (おはよう ございます)

  3. Good afternoon/Hello – Konnichiwa (こんにちは)

  4. Good evening – Konbanwa (こんばんは)

  5. Good night – Oyasuminasai (おやすみなさい)

  6. Hello – Moshi moshi (もしもし)

  7. Goodbye – Sanyõnara (さようなら)

  8. How are you? – Genki Desu Ka (元気 です 化)

  9. Thank you – Arigatou (ありがとう)

  10. Thank you very much – Domo arigatou gozaimasu (どうもありがとうございます)

  11. Nice to meet you – Hajimemashite (はじめまして)

  12. See you later – Mata Atode (また 後で)

  13. Long time, no see – Ohisashiburi desu (おはしぶりです)

  14. Get well soon – Odaijini (お大事に)

  15. I am back – Tadaima (ただいま)

  16. You are welcome – Dõitashimashite

  17. I am sorry – Gomen nasai (ごめんなさい)

  18. Excuse me – Sumimasen (すみません)

  19. Hey – Ossu (おっす)

  20. Good luck – Kōun o (幸運を)

1. Good morning (informal) – Ohayō (おはよう)

Ohayou, pronounced as Ohio (as in the US State) is an informal way of saying “good morning.” Simply put, it is a casual way to greet close friends and family, that does not necessarily have to be accompanied by a serious bow. A nod and smile will do.

Ohayo can also be used in the afternoon if you are seeing the person for the first time during the day. Alternatively, you can choose to say San ohayō, when you do not know the person’s name. San means “Mr.” or “Mrs.”.

2. Good morning (formal) – Ohayō gozaimasu (おはよう ございます)

Ohayō gozaimasu, which is pronounced o-high-oh go-za-ee-mos is the formal way to say “good morning.” Here the ‘u’ in ‘Gozaimasu‘ is silent.

Usually, this expression is used in formal settings such as workplaces, seminars, etc. When at work, you should address your boss, superiors, and customers with the added suffix. Also, when you meet someone for the first time, we strongly advise that you greet them the formal way. Gozaimasu here stresses the place of a sense of respect in the greeting. Needless to say, when saying this greeting, it should be accompanied with a bow.

3. Good afternoon/Hello – Konnichiwa (こんにちは)

Konnichiwa, as in kon-nee-chii-waa, is the word to either say “Hello” or “good afternoon.” It is by far the most popular greeting even in Europe and America. Though having two meanings, non-Japanese people use the term generally to say “Hello” in Japanese.

It is appropriate and not out of place to address both persons you know and do not know with this greeting. In the same vein, it is suitable for informal and formal situations alike. Depending on the setting, a simple nod and smile should suffice.

4. Good evening – Konbanwa (こんばんは)

This is the general way to greet people anytime after sundown, mostly at past 6:00pm. However, it literally means “good evening.” Konbanwa as in kom-barn-wah is an appropriate salutation for any situation in the evening. Bear in mind, the initial ‘n’ in Konbanwa is pronounced as ‘m’. This way you will sound more native than the average non-native.

5. Good night – Oyasuminasai (おやすみなさい)

Just like in the English language, you only use “good night” when it is time to go to bed or bid someone farewell for the night. By implication, it would be wrong to say Oyasuminasai when you meet someone. Oyasuminasai is pronounced as or-yah-suu-mi-na-saii, and it is a formal or respectful way to say “good night.” In a more casual setting, you can simply say Oyasumi おやすみ, especially to friends or younger ones.

6. Hello – Moshi moshi (もしもし)

What is the first thing you say when you answer a phone call? “Hello” right? Exactly! Moshi moshi is the equivalent of the English word “Hello” when you are on a phone. In other words, instead of saying Konnichiwa like you should in a face-to-face conversation, you should rather say Moshi moshi. The person on the other side responds hai はい (meaning “yes”), letting you know he/she can hear you properly. Check out hello in Japanese to have a more in-depth idea. 

7. Goodbye – Sanyõnara (さようなら)

Sanyõnara is a Japanese word for goodbye. A simple way to bid someone farewell while they take their leave is to say Sanyõnara with a wave. The term works fine for all situations, formal and informal. Alternatively, you can say o wakare お別れ or saraba da さらばだ.

It is pronounced just as it is read – sah-yooh-nah-rah. (Make sure you stress the ‘o’.

8. How are you? – Genki Desu Ka (元気 です 化)

Unlike in the English-speaking spaces, it is less common to ask someone “how are you?” It is more appropriate to say konnichiwa or ohayō when addressing people. However, sometimes it is a good way to start a conversation with someone you have known prior in time.

It is pronounced gehn-kee-dess-kah. Depending on how polite you want to be, in an informal setting or while addressing a friend, you can say genki (元気). Genki desu ka (元気 です 化) is suitable in a formal arrangement. To sound even politer, you can say o genki desu ka (お 元気 です 化).

9. Thank you – Arigatou (ありがとう)

Close up portrait of young japanese woman
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This is a very casual way of expressing appreciation or thanking someone. By implication it would be disrespectful to address your boss, superior, or even a stranger with this. The right pronunciation of arigatou is ah-ri-ga-toor.

10. Thank you very much – Domo arigatou gozaimasu (どうもありがとうございます)

As a culture that involves a lot of respect and politeness, learning how to say “thank you” would do you a lot of good. Domo arigatou gozaimasu is one of the most respectful ways to say “thank you.” To be semi-formal, you can say domo arigatou. This article talks about thank you in Japanese in more detail.

You should pronounce the sentence as doe-moe ah-ri-ga-toor go-za-ee-mos.

11. Nice to meet you – Hajimemashite (はじめまして)

Hajimemashite as in ha-ji-meh-mah-steh is a Japanese word that connotes “first encounter” with someone. When you meet someone for the first time, it is only right that you show the person you are happy to meet him/her. After which you should respond with hajimemashite and follow it up with your name. Mind you, your last name should come before your first. Yes! It is cultural.

12. See you later – Mata Atode (また 後で)

Saying mata atode (mah-tah ha-toe-dey) is a less formal way to bid someone goodbye. It also means “see you soon” meaning you will most likely see the person again in a short while. Consequently, it can not be used interchangeably with Sanyõnara which literally means “farewell.”

Mind you, telling your boss, teacher, or elders “mata atode” would be quite disrespectful.

13. Long time, no see – Ohisashiburi desu (おはしぶりです)

mature men shaking hands when meeting in the bar
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Like in the English language, you only say this to someone you have not seen in a while. How long? That is totally up to you to determine.

When you need to be polite, you say ohisashiburi desu or ohisashiburi desu ne. The initial ‘o’ already shows politeness, while the ‘ne’ stresses it even more. If you are addressing a friend, you can say hisashiburi. You should pronounce ohisashiburi desu as oi-sah-shee-bu-ree-dess.

14. Get well soon – Odaijini (お大事に)

When someone tells you he is sick, it is only polite that you emphathize with him. This way you give the person hope. ‘O’ in odaijini  is a prefix for politeness; therefore, it is suitable for formal and informal situations alike. The correct pronunciation of odaijini is or-daii-ji-nih.

15. I am back – Tadaima (ただいま)

This is how you inform your immediate family members or neighbors that you are back home. Tadaima as in tah-dah-ee-mah literally translates to “I’m home,” having returned from somewhere. You can also say tadaima modorimashita,meaning “I am back now.”

16. You are welcome – Dõitashimashite

The most common way to respond to a “thank you” message is to say dõitashimashite. It is not uncommon to hear people say this often even on the streets. However, it is more suitable to use kochirakoso (こちらこそ) to address your superiors. Dõitashimashite is pronounced doh-ee-teh-shee-mahs-teh.

17. I am sorry – Gomen nasai (ごめんなさい)

As each situation demands, there are multiple ways to apologize. When you wrong someone in a semi-formal scenario, gomen nasai is polite enough for an apology. Gomen nasai, as in goh-men-nah-sah-ee, is the most conventional word for apology in Japanese. However, in a situation where you need to say sorry to your boss, you should rather say taihenmoushiwake gozaimasen (大変申し訳ございません).

Also, you can say gomen nasai to gain or call the attention of someone you want to speak to. To learn more ways about how to say sorry, check out sorry in Japanese .

18. Excuse me – Sumimasen (すみません)

This is the Japanese language equivalent of the English “Excuse me.” You can use the word to call out to someone in informal and semi-formal settings, whether a waiter, a friend, or stranger. In more formal situations, you should say shitsurei shimasu (失礼 します).

Sumimasen is pronounced su-mee-mah-sen.

19. Hey – Ossu (おっす)

Ossu is the short and slang form of ohayō gozaimasu which means “good morning.” It is far too casual to be used in semi-formal settings, talk less of formal. Alternatively, the word also means “hey” as you can greet your friends and siblings with the term anytime of the day.

20. Good luck – Kōun o (幸運を)

When you need to cheer someone up, a formal way to say “good luck” is kōun o. However, the standard and casual way is to say ganbatte (頑張って) which literally means to do one’s best. Depending on the level of formality, you can also say ganbatte kudasai.

Kōun o is pronounced koo-oun-ore.

Arigatou (ありがとう) for reading, Kōun o (幸運を) with your learning journey

Source: Wikipedia.com

Overall, the Japanese culture is quite big on respect; therefore, there are levels of politeness you have to exhibit while greeting people. The Japanese bow is critically cultural, and suggestive of nothing but modesty. When you meet someone for the first time, it is only right that you make a bow while the person does the same. By all means, also, refrain from stretching your hands for a handshake or casually giving someone a pat on the back.

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