How do you say hi in Japanese?

Between friends there is no single word for hi: people say おはよう (ohayō) in the morning, call out a name, or use やあ (yā) or よっ (yo). For everyone else, こんにちは (konnichiwa) is the safe hello.

How do you say good afternoon in Japanese?

こんにちは (konnichiwa). Japanese has no separate phrase for good afternoon: こんにちは covers hello and good afternoon, from late morning until it gets dark.

Why is konnichiwa written with は and not わ?

Because it began as a sentence, 今日は (konnichi wa), as for today, followed by a wish for your health that was later dropped. The particle は is read wa, and the spelling stayed. こんばんは, good evening, is the same.

What does moshi moshi mean?

もしもし is hello on the phone, said when you answer a call or to check the other person can still hear you. It comes from 申す (mōsu), a humble verb for to say. Use it only on the phone.

Hello in Japanese: konnichiwa, and how to say hi. Naraio

Hello in Japanese is こんにちは (konnichiwa), which also means good afternoon. Use it from late morning until dark; in the morning say おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu), in the evening こんばんは (konbanwa), and on the phone もしもし (moshi moshi).

こんにちは

Romaji: konnichiwa
Meaning: hello, good afternoon

Polite and casual

Form	Who and when
こんにちはkonnichiwaPolite	Hello or good afternoon to almost anyone you meet during the day: neighbors, shop owners, people you are introduced to.
どうもdōmoLight	A quick hi with a nod, to someone you know a little.
やあyāCasual	Hi, to a friend.
よっyoVery casual	Yo, between close friends.
もしもしmoshi moshiPhone	Hello when you answer or start a phone call, and only then.

When to use it

Say こんにちは to people you meet during the day: a neighbor in the hallway, a guide, a shop owner, someone you are introduced to. It is polite enough for strangers and neutral enough for most adults.

The time of day picks the greeting: おはようございます until about 10 or 11 in the morning, こんにちは until it gets dark, こんばんは after that. On the phone, every call starts with もしもし.

When not to

With family, and with friends or coworkers you see every day, こんにちは sounds distant, as if you were greeting a stranger. Friends say おはよう in the morning, a name, or a casual やあ.

In shops you do not need to answer the staff's いらっしゃいませ (welcome): it is not a hello that expects one back. A nod or a smile is enough.

Examples

こんにちは、田中さん。
Reading: こんにちは、たなかさん。
Romaji: konnichiwa, Tanaka-san.
Hello, Tanaka-san.
こんにちは。いい天気ですね。
Reading: こんにちは。いいてんきですね。
Romaji: konnichiwa. ii tenki desu ne.
Hello. Nice weather, isn't it?
もしもし、山田です。
Reading: もしもし、やまだです。
Romaji: moshi moshi, Yamada desu.
Hello, this is Yamada. (On the phone.)
やあ、久しぶり！
Reading: やあ、ひさしぶり！
Romaji: yā, hisashiburi!
Hi, long time no see!

bunka · culture

A greeting usually comes with a bow. The everyday one is (eshaku), a nod and a slight bend of about 15 degrees; deeper, longer bows show more respect. Handshakes are less common, though many people offer one to visitors, and a small bow back is always a good answer.

Common mistakes

Writing こんにちわ. The last character is は, read wa, because the greeting began as a sentence: 今日は, as for today. こんばんは works the same way.
Using はい as hi. はい (hai) means yes.
Saying こんにちは in the morning or at night. Switch to おはようございます or こんばんは.
Greeting close friends or family with こんにちは every day. It sounds stiff; use their name or a casual hi.

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.

Hello in Japanese