How do you say good evening in Japanese?

こんばんは (konbanwa). Say it when you meet someone after dark, the way you would say こんにちは during the day. It only greets; when you part at night, say おやすみなさい or another goodbye.

What is the difference between oyasumi and oyasumi nasai?

なさい makes it polite. おやすみ is for family, friends and a partner; おやすみなさい is for anyone you speak to politely, and many families use it too.

Is it konbanwa or kombanwa?

Both spellings are the same word. ん before b sounds like m, so some romaji writes kombanwa; this site writes konbanwa, closer to the kana: こ, ん, ば, ん, は.

Good night in Japanese: oyasumi and konbanwa. Naraio

Good night in Japanese is おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai), or おやすみ (oyasumi) with friends and family, said when someone is going to bed. Good evening, the hello for after dark, is a different word: こんばんは (konbanwa).

おやすみなさい

Romaji: oyasumi nasai
Meaning: good night

Polite and casual

Form	Who and when
おやすみなさいoyasumi nasaiPolite	Good night to a host family, a teacher on a trip, anyone you speak to politely. Kind with family too.
おやすみoyasumiCasual	Good night to family, a partner or friends, in person or in a message.
こんばんはkonbanwaPolite	Good evening: a hello when you meet someone after dark. Never a goodbye.

When to use it

おやすみなさい closes the day: when you or the other person goes to bed, or at the end of a late call or chat. It is a wish, rest well, not a greeting.

こんばんは opens an evening meeting: a neighbor on the way home, a friend's parents at dinner, a host at a party.

When not to

When you leave work or a shop in the evening, おやすみなさい is not the goodbye: say 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) or お疲れさまでした (otsukaresama deshita). Late at night, friends parting on the street do say おやすみ, since everyone is heading home to sleep.

Do not use こんばんは with your family at home, or as you leave: it only greets.

Examples

おやすみなさい。また明日。
Reading: おやすみなさい。またあした。
Romaji: oyasumi nasai. mata ashita.
Good night. See you tomorrow.
もう寝るね。おやすみ！
Reading: もうねるね。おやすみ！
Romaji: mō neru ne. oyasumi!
I'm going to bed. Night!
こんばんは。遅くなってすみません。
Reading: こんばんは。おそくなってすみません。
Romaji: konbanwa. osoku natte sumimasen.
Good evening. Sorry I'm late.
ゆっくり休んでね。おやすみ。
Reading: ゆっくりやすんでね。おやすみ。
Romaji: yukkuri yasunde ne. oyasumi.
Get some good rest. Good night.

bunka · culture

comes from (yasumu), to rest: it is a polite please rest. The same also means a day off or a holiday, so means tomorrow is a day off, and on a shop door it means closed.

Common mistakes

Using こんばんは to say good night as you leave. こんばんは only greets; to part at night, say おやすみなさい or a goodbye.
Writing こんばんわ. The last character is は, read wa, as in こんにちは.
Saying おやすみ to a teacher or someone senior. Add なさい.

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.

Good night in Japanese