Good morning in Japanese
Good morning in Japanese is おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu), or just おはよう (ohayō) with friends and family. Say it until about 10 or 11 in the morning, then switch to こんにちは (konnichiwa).
おはようございます
- Romaji
- ohayō gozaimasu
- Meaning
- good morning
Polite and casual
| Form | Who and when |
|---|---|
| おはようございますohayō gozaimasuPolite | Teachers, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone older than you or you do not know well. |
| おはようohayōCasual | Friends, family, classmates, and people younger than you. |
| おはよohayoVery casual | A clipped, playful version for close friends, common in messages. |
When to use it
Say it the first time you see someone in the morning: your family at breakfast, a classmate at the school gate, a coworker as you arrive.
Many workplaces use おはようございます as the first greeting of a shift, whatever the hour. Restaurant staff and people in TV and theater say it when they arrive for an evening shift too.
When not to
After about 11 in the morning, outside work, switch to こんにちは.
With a teacher, a boss or a customer, never drop ございます: a casual おはよう to someone senior sounds overfamiliar.
Examples
おはようございます、先生。
Reading: おはようございます、せんせい。
Romaji: ohayō gozaimasu, sensei.
Good morning, teacher.
おはよう！よく寝た？
Reading: おはよう！よくねた？
Romaji: ohayō! yoku neta?
Morning! Did you sleep well?
おはようございます。今日は寒いですね。
Reading: おはようございます。きょうはさむいですね。
Romaji: ohayō gozaimasu. kyō wa samui desu ne.
Good morning. It's cold today, isn't it?
おはよう、お母さん。
Reading: おはよう、おかあさん。
Romaji: ohayō, okāsan.
Morning, Mom.
bunka · culture
Greeting first and clearly is part of good manners in Japan, and it is taught: many schools run greeting campaigns, (aisatsu undō), where teachers and students stand at the gate and say to everyone who comes in.
Common mistakes
- Saying おはよう to your teacher or your boss. Keep ございます for anyone you speak to politely.
- Saying it in the afternoon outside work. After late morning, it is こんにちは.
- Pronouncing every letter of ございます. The final す is barely voiced: it sounds like gozaimas.
Questions people ask
Say it out loud, with feedback
Knowing a phrase is not the same as saying it. In Naraio you practice phrases like these in short role plays with Hana, a tutor who listens, answers in natural Japanese and scores your pronunciation, and spaced reviews bring them back before they fade.