Hello in Japanese: Greetings for Different Situations

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Japanese greetings depend on time, relationship and setting. Learn a few reliable phrases first, then listen for how people around you greet friends, colleagues, customers and family.

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Common Japanese Greetings

Start with polite, ordinary greetings rather than slang. A greeting can sound natural in one setting and out of place in another.

やあ (Yā)

やあ is casual and can mean “hi” among friends. Do not use it for a formal introduction.

こんにちは (Konnichiwa)

こんにちは is a standard daytime greeting. It is safe in many polite everyday situations.

Introducing Your Name

Say はじめまして, then 名前は [name] です or [name] と申します in more formal situations.

おはようございます (Ohayō gozaimasu)

Use おはようございます politely in the morning. おはよう is casual.

こんばんは (Konbanwa)

こんばんは is a standard evening greeting.

おやすみなさい (Oyasuminasai)

Say おやすみなさい when parting for sleep, not as a general evening hello.

お久しぶりですね

お久しぶりですね is a polite “long time no see”.

Very Casual Calls

Expressions such as ヤッホー, おす and よー are highly casual and group-dependent. Recognise them, but do not make them your default greeting.

おす (Osu)

おす is informal and associated with some peer groups; avoid it in polite settings.

よー (Yō)

よー is an informal call between friends.

お元気ですか

お元気ですか means “How are you?” but is more common after time apart than as an automatic greeting.

調子はどうですか

調子はどうですか asks about someone’s condition or how something is going. Use it when that is genuinely your question.

ただいま

Say ただいま when returning home; the usual response is おかえり or おかえりなさい.

はじめまして

はじめまして means “nice to meet you” at a first meeting.

いらっしゃいませ

いらっしゃいませ is a service greeting used to welcome customers. Customers do not normally need to answer it.

もしもし

もしもし is used to open a telephone call, not face-to-face.

いい天気ですね

いい天気ですね is a polite comment on pleasant weather, useful as light conversation rather than a fixed hello.

Choose the Greeting for the Situation

Use こんにちは, おはようございます, こんばんは and はじめまして as a dependable starting set. Then learn from real conversations and adjust to the relationship and setting.