10 Basic Japanese Greetings To Use - Japan Truly (2024)

FAQs

How do you respond to a Japanese greeting? ›

This is a common phrase you'll hear when entering convenience stores or restaurants. When you're greeted with いらっしゃいませ, you can respond with a nod and smile or by saying ありがとう or こんにちは.

Good evening in Japanese – Konbanwa (こんばんは) – is how you should greet people in the late afternoon or evening hours. The same as Ohayō gozaimasu, Konbanwa can be used both as a “hello” and as a “goodbye”. If you are leaving, you can also say Oyasumi nasai (おやすみなさい) to say “goodbye” in Japanese at night.

The greeting that the Japanese people use in their own language when meeting somebody for the first time is “hajimemash*te.” This translates to either, “Nice to meet you,” in the English language.

In Japan, the most common gesture when greeting is a bow. The depth, length and style of bow depends on the social context (see below). Bowing takes place in many instances where handshakes would be common in the English-speaking West.

七転び八起き (nana korobi ya oki) English Translation: “Fall seven times, get up eight.” This is definitely one of the most famous Japanese proverbs. You've probably heard the English version: “If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.” It's another phrase that means “don't give up!”

Introduction to Japanese greetings

The word aisatsu (挨拶) means “greeting” in Japanese, however it's more than just “hello.” Aisatsu is very important and is taught from early childhood.

Are U OK Japanese? ›

大丈夫ですか？ (daijōbu desu ka?) is probably the most natural way to ask, “are you okay?” in Japanese.

Beginning Japanese Greeting your Boss and Co-workers in the Morning

The perfect ohayo gozaimasu reply

There is actually no specific reply that should be given to “Good Morning” greetings in Japan. It could be replied with a simple “Ohayou” or “Daijobudesu”. The first word means good morning as well, and the second phrase means “I am good” in Japanese.

In Japanese, it's common to greet your friends and coworkers with a やあ, or just あー (Aah-), followed by their name.

To introduce yourself in Japanese, say "Watashi no namae wa Sarah desu," which translates to "My name is Sarah." For a shortened, less formal introduction, you can just say "Sarah desu." You can also say "Hajimemash*te," which means "Nice to meet you." Whenever you introduce yourself to someone in Japanese, always end ...

Say "hello" with a simple, "Konnichiwa." This is a simple, straightforward greeting that means "Hi" or "Good day." Appropriate for strangers and friends alike, this is the "one size fits all" of Japanese greetings, and is the safest go-to. When in doubt, use this phrase.

Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good Evening

For example, “Good morning” is generally used from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. whereas “Good afternoon” time is from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. “Good evening” is often used after 6 p.m. or when the sun goes down. Keep in mind that “Goodnight” is not a salutation.

Examples are "Good day" in English, "Drud" in Persian, "Sat Shri Akaal" in Punjabi, "As-salamu alaykum" in Arabic, "Aloha" in Hawaiian, "Shalom" in Hebrew, "Namaste" in Hindi, "Ayubowan" in Sri Lanka "Sawatdi" in Thai and "Ciao" in Italian. The bow and handshake are also used for both greeting and leave-taking.

Ara ara (あら あら) is a Japanese expression that is mainly used by older females and means “My my”, “Oh dear”, or “Oh me, oh my”. Depending on the… Visit.

What is the cutest Japanese word? ›

We can't think of Japan without associating it with the word kawaii! Not only is kawaii (かわいい) an adjective to describe something that is 'cute', 'lovely', or 'adorable', but it is also part of a bigger culture in Japan.

In Japan, people greet each other with a bow. The more respect or formality you'd like to convey, the deeper the bow. For friends and casual acquaintances, a small inclination of the neck and head will do.

Well, (ohayou gozaimsu/konnichiwa/konbanwa) would be good for greetings and (mata ash*ta/mata kondo/dewa mata/kyou wa arigatou) would be good for goodbyes, I guess. It is all about the personal touch, however, and how you choose to present yourself to the teacher.

Do you need to speak any Japanese to travel around Japan? Absolutely not. You can travel to Japan without learning any of these words and have a great time. People ask us about the Japanese language barrier all the time, with common questions such as, Do Japanese people speak English?

Since you don't understand the Japanese language and the locals may not understand English, speaking to the locals will be quite difficult. Resultantly, you are advised to learn the basics of the Japanese language before going to Japan if you are staying in a small town or remote area.

Do you need to learn Japanese? No knowledge of Japanese is needed to visit tourist areas in Japan and big cities like Tokyo. Signage is often bilingual, and most Japanese people do know basic English words. Gestures and simple phrases are typically sufficient.

(Kon'nichiwa) which means “Hello” in Japanese. This is one of the most common words in Japanese and a great way to start a conversation with someone from Japan.

What is Japan known for? ›

Japan is famous for natural sights like cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, cutting-edge technology like Japanese cars and bullet trains, wacky inventions like karaoke and vending machines, cultural values like politeness and punctuality, popular anime and manga, and mouth-watering food like ramen and sushi.

Japanese proverbs are called Kotowaza in Japan, and while some are exported from Chinese proverbs, many aren't too different from those used in the English language. To be classed as a proverb, the saying must be memorable, short and state a general truth or piece of advice.

In the morning, hello in Japanese is おはようございます（ohayou gozaimasu）. In the afternoon, hello in Japanese is こんにちは（konnichiwa）. From around 5 p.m. till when the sun rises, the proper way to say hello in Japanese is こんばんは（konbanwa）. Like konnichiwa, the word konbanwa is already acceptably polite.

I was wondering about this myself and so I decided to find out. When someone greets you in Japanese with “Konnichiwa” it is best to respond with the same phrase “Konnichiwa”.

1- おはようございます (Ohayō gozaimasu.)

This is the first word you should say when you show up at your workplace. Most people arrive at work in the morning, but in some industries where work starts later in the day, they still use this phrase as the first greeting upon arrival, even if it's in the afternoon or evening.

In OGENKI DESU KA (Are you fine?), OGENKI is an adjective GENKI (fine, healthy) with an honorific O before it. If you answer, “Yes, I'm fine,” you say HAI, GENKI DESU.

So what is “genki desu ka(げんきですか)”? Well, most people equate this to the English meaning “how are you”.

daijoubu desu ka? = are you alright?, are you okay? ( you are asking someone)

In Japan, people greet each other by bowing. A bow can ranges from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist. A deeper, longer bow indicates respect and conversely a small nod with the head is casual and informal. If the greeting takes place on tatami floor, people get on their knees to bow.

Is Moshi Moshi Japanese? ›

Moshi moshi, or もしもし, is a common Japanese phrase that Japanese people use when picking up the phone. It's a casual greeting used for friends and family, like a “hello”, but in fact means something entirely different! In English, it literally means something more like, “to say to say”, or “I speak I speak”.

Ie ie / No no (Not at all/No problem) A phrase that you will often hear as a reply to "arigato gozaimasu" is "ie ie".

1. Hajimemash*te! (Pronunciation: ha-jee-may-mashtay) Meaning: Nice to meet you! This is your first point of contact.

Sumimasen is Excuse Me or Thank You or Sorry or … in Japanese.

Good morning is is not the same as “ohayo.” “Ohayo” is used until about 10:00 am. After that you would use “konichiwa.” You would answer with the same word that the other person greeted you with.

Response to konichiwa is konichiwa.

Explanation. In OGENKI DESU KA (Are you fine?), OGENKI is an adjective GENKI (fine, healthy) with an honorific O before it. If you answer, “Yes, I'm fine,” you say HAI, GENKI DESU.

Ask a Japanese Teacher! What's the difference between ARIGATO and ...

"Irasshaimase!" the chefs are all yelling in unison the moment you enter their restaurant. It's a surprise the first time it happens but get used to it, it's standard practice throughout Japan.

What is Irasshaimasu? ›

Within minutes of entering Japan, virtually all tourists encounter the phrase “Irasshaimase!” (いらっしゃいませ！), meaning “Welcome to the store!” or “Come on in!.”

Moshi moshi, or もしもし, is a common Japanese phrase that Japanese people use when picking up the phone. It's a casual greeting used for friends and family, like a “hello”, but in fact means something entirely different! In English, it literally means something more like, “to say to say”, or “I speak I speak”.

So what is “genki desu ka(げんきですか)”? Well, most people equate this to the English meaning “how are you”.

When you say “Good morning” politely, you say 'Ohayo gozaimasu. ' It's just the casual “Good morning,” 'Ohayo' with 'gozaimasu' at the end. The word 'gozaimasu' is a very polite expression and can roughly be translated as “am,” “is,” or “are” in English.

The perfect ohayo gozaimasu reply

It could be replied with a simple “Ohayou” or “Daijobudesu”. The first word means good morning as well, and the second phrase means “I am good” in Japanese. Learning these basic greetings is important and helpful when visiting Japan for the first time.

DOMO means "very". It's especially helpful when stressing appreciation or making an apology. When you buy something at a store, store clerk would say "DOMO ARIGATOU", meaning thank you "very much". You can also use DOMO as a greeting like "hello".

good night

In a casual way, you can say OYASUMI.

よかった [YOKATTA] It was good. / I'm glad. YOKATTA is the past form of an adjective, II (good). It is an expression used in a casual conversation between friends. So, the polite way of ending a sentence, DESU, is omitted.

When Japanese people explicitly state “you” in their sentences, it's proper to use the person's name and attach a suffix. You are probably already familiar with “～san”, which is a polite suffix. If you use “anata” with someone who you know, it is rude.

“O-genki desu ka” is the most polite expression of these three and is used to people you don't know well or people in higher positions. “genki desu ka” is more polite than ”genki?” and is used by people in higher positions to people in lower positions. For example, teachers to students and superiors to subordinates.