Few things open a door faster in Japan than a warm, well-timed greeting. Japanese greetings are more than vocabulary — they carry a whole system of respect, timing, and body language, and getting them right signals that you understand the culture, not just the words. The good news is that a handful of phrases will cover almost every daily situation, from bumping into a neighbor in the morning to answering the phone or heading out the door. In this guide you’ll learn the essential Japanese greetings with kana, kanji, and romaji, when to use each one, how bowing fits in, and the small mistakes learners most often make.
The one word every learner starts with: こんにちは (konnichiwa)
こんにちは (konnichiwa) is the classic “hello,” and it’s the safe, all-purpose greeting you can use with almost anyone during daylight hours. It literally grew out of a longer phrase meaning something like “as for this day…,” which is why it fits the middle of the day so naturally — roughly from late morning until early evening. Two quick pronunciation notes: the final は is written with the character for ha but pronounced wa here, and the word has no strong stress, so keep it smooth and even rather than punching any single syllable.
What surprises many beginners is that Japanese people don’t actually say こんにちは to close friends or family very often. It can feel a touch formal or distant between people who see each other constantly. Save it for neighbors, shopkeepers, colleagues, and new acquaintances — and reach for the more casual options below when you’re with your inner circle.
Time-of-day siblings: おはよう and こんばんは
Japanese greetings are tied to the clock more strictly than English “hi.” In the morning you say おはよう (ohayō) to friends, or the polite おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) to anyone you’d treat with respect — a boss, a teacher, an older neighbor. Interestingly, in many workplaces and industries people use おはようございます whenever they first arrive, even in the afternoon, because it functions as “good to see you starting the day.” In the evening you switch to こんばんは (konbanwa), “good evening,” which — like こんにちは — ends in a は pronounced wa.
| Japanese | Romaji | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| おはよう | ohayō | Casual “good morning” for friends and family |
| おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu | Polite morning greeting; also used at work when you arrive |
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | General “hello,” roughly late morning to early evening |
| こんばんは | konbanwa | “Good evening,” from around dusk onward |
| やあ | yā | Casual “hey,” between close friends |
| どうも | dōmo | Flexible “hi / thanks,” friendly but a little vague |
Casual hellos: やあ and どうも
Between friends, the textbook greetings soften into something breezier. やあ (yā) is a light “hey” you might toss out when you spot a buddy across the street. どうも (dōmo) is a wonderfully flexible little word: on its own it can mean “hi,” “thanks,” or “excuse me” depending on tone and context, which makes it a handy filler when you’re not sure how formal to be. You’ll also hear young people borrow やっほー (yahhō), a cheerful “yoo-hoo,” among close friends. These casual forms feel warm, but they’d sound too familiar with a manager or a stranger — match the register to the relationship.
Bowing: the greeting your body makes
In Japan, a greeting is often as much physical as it is verbal. The bow, or お辞儀 (ojigi), accompanies most spoken greetings and communicates respect on its own. As a rule of thumb, the deeper and longer the bow, the more formal or apologetic the message. A quick nod of the head works among friends; a fifteen-degree bow suits a casual “thank you” or a passing hello; and a deeper thirty-degree bow is reserved for customers, superiors, or formal apologies. Keep your back straight and bend from the waist rather than just dropping your chin.
As a learner you’re not expected to master every angle — a small, sincere nod paired with your words already lands well. What matters most is that you don’t leave your body completely still while greeting someone senior; a slight bow shows you’re engaged and respectful. Handshakes exist in international business settings, but a bow is the default, and combining a light bow with your greeting will feel natural quickly.
Formal vs. casual: the -masu/desu switch
Japanese runs on two broad politeness levels, and greetings shift with them. The plain (casual) form is used with friends, family, and people younger or close to you, while the polite -masu/desu form is used with strangers, elders, teachers, and in any professional setting. You can hear this in the morning greeting: おはよう is plain, おはようございます is polite. The same logic runs through the entire language, so mastering greetings is a gentle first taste of a distinction you’ll meet everywhere — including when you study Japanese verb conjugation, where the plain and polite forms fully diverge.
When in doubt, err on the side of polite. Japanese culture rarely penalizes you for being a little too formal, but being too casual with someone senior can feel disrespectful. As relationships warm, the other person will often signal that it’s fine to relax into plain speech.
“How are you?” — お元気ですか and why it’s used sparingly
English speakers reflexively pair “hello” with “how are you?”, so it surprises many learners that お元気ですか (o-genki desu ka?) is not an everyday phrase in Japanese. It literally asks “are you well/energetic?” and carries real weight — you’d use it with someone you haven’t seen in a while, not with a coworker you greet every single morning. Asking it daily can sound odd, as if you expect the person’s condition to have changed. The casual version drops the polite trimmings: 元気? (genki?), meaning “you good?”
A natural reply is はい、元気です (hai, genki desu), “yes, I’m well,” often followed by おかげさまで (okagesama de), a gracious “thanks to you.” For routine, near-daily encounters, Japanese speakers simply exchange the time-of-day greeting and move on — no “how are you?” required.
Saying goodbye: more than さようなら
Textbooks teach さようなら (sayōnara) as “goodbye,” but native speakers use it less than you’d think — it can carry a sense of finality, as if you might not meet again for a long time, so it feels heavy for a casual “see you later.” In daily life, friends prefer じゃあね (jā ne), “see ya,” or またね (mata ne), “see you.” If you’ll meet the next day, また明日 (mata ashita), “see you tomorrow,” is perfect. In polite or work settings, people leaving the office say お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita), a warm acknowledgment of everyone’s hard work that doubles as “goodbye for now.”
もしもし: the greeting only used on the phone
Pick up a casual phone call in Japan and you won’t say こんにちは — you’ll say もしもし (moshi moshi). This charming reduplicated phrase is used almost exclusively to open a phone conversation or to check whether the other person can still hear you (“hello? are you there?”). One cultural note: もしもし is considered casual, so in formal business calls people skip it and open with はい (hai) plus their name or company instead. But for chatting with friends, もしもし is exactly right.
Situational set greetings: the phrases that come in pairs
Some of the most distinctly Japanese greetings aren’t “hello” at all — they’re fixed expressions tied to specific moments in daily life, and many come in call-and-response pairs. When you leave home you announce いってきます (ittekimasu), “I’m off,” and those staying behind reply いってらっしゃい (itterasshai), “go and come back safely.” When you return you say ただいま (tadaima), “I’m home,” and are welcomed with おかえり (okaeri), “welcome back.” Before eating, いただきます (itadakimasu) expresses gratitude for the meal, and afterward ごちそうさま (gochisōsama) thanks whoever provided it. Learning these makes your Japanese feel lived-in rather than textbook.
| Japanese | Romaji | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| いってきます | ittekimasu | Said by the person leaving home (“I’m off”) |
| いってらっしゃい | itterasshai | Reply to the person leaving (“come back safe”) |
| ただいま | tadaima | Said when arriving home (“I’m back”) |
| おかえり(なさい) | okaeri (nasai) | Reply welcoming someone home (“welcome back”) |
| いただきます | itadakimasu | Said before eating, to give thanks for the food |
| ごちそうさま(でした) | gochisōsama (deshita) | Said after eating, to thank for the meal |
| もしもし | moshi moshi | Answering or checking a casual phone call |
| お疲れ様です | otsukaresama desu | Greeting/parting phrase at work, “thanks for your work” |
Common mistakes with Japanese greetings
- Writing こんにちは as こんにちわ. It’s spoken “wa” but written with は. The わ spelling is a very common learner slip.
- Using さようなら with friends. It sounds too final. Reach for じゃあね or またね instead for everyday goodbyes.
- Asking お元気ですか every day. Save it for people you haven’t seen in a while, not your daily coworker.
- Greeting a boss with plain forms. Drop the ございます and you may come across as overly familiar. Default to polite until invited to relax.
- Standing perfectly still. Pair even a small nod or bow with your words — a motionless greeting can feel cold in Japanese culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it こんにちは or こんにちわ?
The correct spelling is こんにちは, ending in the character は. It’s pronounced “wa” because は here is a leftover grammatical particle, but you should always write は, not わ. Writing こんにちわ is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Do Japanese people really not say “how are you” like in English?
Correct — お元気ですか is not a routine daily filler the way “how are you?” is in English. It genuinely asks after someone’s wellbeing, so it fits reunions and people you haven’t seen recently. For daily encounters, Japanese speakers usually just exchange a time-of-day greeting.
When should I use もしもし?
Use もしもし to open or check a casual phone call — it’s essentially “hello?” for the telephone and isn’t used face to face. In formal business calls, skip it and answer with はい plus your name or company instead, since もしもし is considered informal.
How important is bowing when I greet someone?
Bowing matters, but as a learner you don’t need perfect form. A small, sincere nod paired with your spoken greeting is enough in most situations, and a slightly deeper bow shows extra respect to elders, customers, or superiors. The key is not to stay completely motionless.
What’s the fastest way to sound natural with Japanese greetings?
Learn the time-of-day greetings, one or two casual options like じゃあね, and the situational set phrases such as いってきます and ただいま. Practicing them out loud with a tutor or through listening — for example with the best Japanese podcasts — cements the natural rhythm far faster than reading alone.
Keep building your Japanese
Greetings are the perfect on-ramp to the language because they reward you instantly — say おはようございます with a small bow and you’ll feel the warmth come right back. From here, keep widening your foundation: pick up everyday vocabulary like Japanese colors, get comfortable with numbers in Japanese, learn the polite art of saying thank you in Japanese, and if you’re just starting out, our guide on how to learn Japanese maps the whole journey. For deeper cultural and grammar dives, resources like Tofugu and the free dictionary Jisho are excellent companions.
Ready to greet Japan with confidence? The Cognitio pairs you with expert tutors who turn phrases like these into real conversation, at your pace. Book a class and start learning Japanese today — your first こんにちは is waiting.