Hello, I’m Kodak.
You may expect Japanese to have one simple word that works exactly like English “hello.”
Japanese greetings change according to time of day, relationship, setting, and whether you are meeting, leaving, calling, or returning home.
おはようございます — Good morning
こんにちは — Hello / Good afternoon
こんばんは — Good evening
もしもし — Hello? on the phone
はじめまして — Nice to meet you, when meeting for the first time
久しぶり — Long time no see, with someone you know
There is no single greeting that replaces every English use of hello. The natural Japanese expression depends on what is happening.
① greetings for morning, daytime, and evening
② casual and polite versions
③ telephone greetings
④ first-meeting and reunion phrases
⑤ greetings used when leaving or returning home
⑥ workplace greetings
⑦ goodbyes and bedtime expressions
⑧ natural responses and short conversations
⑨ pronunciation and writing mistakes to avoid
Japanese Greetings List: The Essential Expressions
Good morning
こんにちは
Hello / Good afternoon
こんばんは
Good evening
もしもし
Hello? — on the phone
はじめまして
Nice to meet you — first meeting
よろしくお願いします
A polite phrase used after introductions and when asking for cooperation
久しぶり / お久しぶりです
Long time no see / It has been a while
いってきます / いってらっしゃい
I’m leaving and will return / Take care and come back
ただいま / おかえりなさい
I’m home / Welcome home
お疲れさまです
A workplace greeting acknowledging effort
じゃあね / またね
See you / See you later
さようなら
Goodbye
おやすみ / おやすみなさい
Good night
おはようございます
こんにちは
こんばんは
はじめまして
ありがとうございます
またね
Then add the situation-specific expressions one group at a time.
1. おはよう and おはようございます: Good Morning
Morning!
⇒ casual
おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu)
Good morning.
⇒ polite
Use おはよう with family, close friends, children, and people with whom you already speak casually.
Use おはようございます with teachers, supervisors, customers, strangers, and people you do not know well.
おはよう！よく眠れた？
Ohayou! Yoku nemureta?
Morning! Did you sleep well?
先生、おはようございます。
Sensei, ohayou gozaimasu.
Good morning, teacher.
Learn more: Ohayou Gozaimasu Meaning and Ohayou vs Ohayou Gozaimasu
2. こんにちは: Hello or Good Afternoon
Romaji: konnichiwa
Meaning: hello / good afternoon
Main use: greeting someone during the daytime
こんにちは。今日はいい天気ですね。
Konnichiwa. Kyou wa ii tenki desu ne.
Hello. The weather is nice today, isn’t it?
こんにちは is often the closest general translation of English hello, but it is mainly a daytime greeting.
Close friends and family often use a name, やあ, おはよう, or a context-specific remark instead of saying こんにちは every time.
Why Is こんにちは Written With は?
The final kana is the topic particle は, so it is pronounced wa, not ha.
Pronounced: konnichiwa
Not: konnichiha
The greeting developed from a longer expression beginning with 今日は…, meaning approximately “As for today…,” whose remainder was eventually omitted.
3. こんばんは: Good Evening
Romaji: konbanwa
Meaning: good evening
Main use: greeting someone at night
こんばんは。おじゃまします。
Konbanwa. Ojama shimasu.
Good evening. Excuse me for intruding.
おやすみなさい ends an interaction before sleep or for the night.
Think:
meeting at night → こんばんは
parting for bed → おやすみなさい
Like こんにちは, こんばんは ends with the particle は, pronounced wa.
4. もしもし: Hello on the Phone
Romaji: moshi moshi
Meaning: hello? / are you there?
Main use: personal telephone calls and checking the connection
もしもし、田中です。
Moshi moshi, Tanaka desu.
Hello, this is Tanaka.
もしもし、聞こえますか？
Moshi moshi, kikoemasu ka?
Hello? Can you hear me?
In person, it can call for attention—something like “Hello? Excuse me?”—but すみません is usually safer when approaching a stranger.
Business calls commonly begin with the company or speaker’s name rather than casual もしもし.
Learn more: Moshi Moshi Meaning and Why Japanese Say Moshi Moshi
5. はじめまして: Nice to Meet You
Romaji: hajimemashite
Meaning: nice to meet you
Main use: the first time you meet someone
はじめまして is not a general “hello.” It marks a first meeting.
Nice to meet you.
スミスです。
I’m Smith.
よろしくお願いします。
I look forward to getting along with you / Thank you in advance.
At later meetings, use a time-of-day greeting or another appropriate expression.
6. よろしくお願いします: The Greeting With No Single English Translation
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
Possible English translations:
・Nice to meet you
・I look forward to working with you
・Please treat me kindly
・Thank you in advance
・I appreciate your cooperation
After a self-introduction, よろしくお願いします expresses the hope for a good relationship.
はじめまして。アレックスです。よろしくお願いします。
Hajimemashite. Arekkusu desu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
Nice to meet you. I’m Alex. I look forward to getting along with you.
Instead of memorizing one English sentence, remember the core idea: “Please regard our relationship or this request favorably.”
7. 久しぶり and お久しぶりです: Long Time No See
Long time no see!
⇒ casual
お久しぶりです。
It has been a while.
⇒ polite
お久しぶりですね。
It has been a while, hasn’t it?
⇒ polite and warmly shared
久しぶり！元気だった？
Hisashiburi! Genki datta?
Long time no see! How have you been?
先生、お久しぶりです。
Sensei, ohisashiburi desu.
Teacher, it has been a while.
Learn more: Hisashiburi Meaning and Ohisashiburi Desu Ne
8. いってきます and いってらっしゃい: Leaving Home
I’m leaving and will come back.
⇒ said by the person leaving
いってらっしゃい (itterasshai)
Go and come back safely / See you later.
⇒ said by the person staying
I’m off!
B: いってらっしゃい。気をつけてね。
Take care. See you later.
Its literal structure combines “go” and “come,” so the feeling is closer to “I’m going now, and I’ll be back.”
9. ただいま and おかえりなさい: Returning Home
I’m home.
⇒ said by the person returning
おかえりなさい (okaerinasai)
Welcome home.
⇒ said by the person receiving them
おかえり
Welcome back.
⇒ casual shortened form
I’m home!
B: おかえり。今日は遅かったね。
Welcome back. You were late today.
These expressions are strongly associated with home, but may also be used playfully or warmly when someone returns to a familiar group or online community.
10. お疲れさまです: A Japanese Workplace Greeting
Otsukaresama desu.
Possible functions:
・hello to a coworker
・thank you for your work
・you must be tired
・good work today
・a workplace acknowledgment
お疲れさまです。会議の資料を送ります。
Otsukaresama desu. Kaigi no shiryou o okurimasu.
Hello/Thank you for your work. I’m sending the meeting materials.
The natural English translation changes by situation.
11. さようなら, またね, and じゃあね: Saying Goodbye
Goodbye
⇒ standard but can feel more final, formal, or school-like depending on context
またね (mata ne)
See you
⇒ friendly and casual
じゃあね (jaa ne)
See you / Bye then
⇒ friendly and casual
また明日 (mata ashita)
See you tomorrow
また後で (mata ato de)
See you later
じゃあね。また明日！
Jaa ne. Mata ashita!
See you. See you tomorrow!
Expressions such as またね and じゃあね feel lighter and more natural among friends.
12. おやすみ and おやすみなさい: Good Night
Good night / Night!
⇒ casual
おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai)
Good night.
⇒ polite or complete form
もう寝るね。おやすみ。
Mou neru ne. Oyasumi.
I’m going to bed now. Good night.
今日はありがとうございました。おやすみなさい。
Kyou wa arigatou gozaimashita. Oyasuminasai.
Thank you for today. Good night.
Use おやすみなさい when the interaction is ending for the night or someone is going to sleep.
Learn more: Oyasumi and Oyasuminasai Meaning
Which Japanese Greeting Should You Use?
⇒ おはようございます
You meet someone during the day
⇒ こんにちは
You meet someone in the evening
⇒ こんばんは
You answer or begin a personal phone call
⇒ もしもし
You meet someone for the first time
⇒ はじめまして
You see someone again after a long time
⇒ 久しぶり / お久しぶりです
You leave home and plan to return
⇒ いってきます
You welcome someone home
⇒ おかえりなさい
You greet or acknowledge a coworker
⇒ お疲れさまです
You say goodbye to a friend
⇒ またね / じゃあね
You part for sleep
⇒ おやすみ / おやすみなさい
Japanese Greeting Politeness: Casual vs Polite
おはよう
久しぶり
おかえり
またね
じゃあね
おやすみ
Polite or socially safer
おはようございます
こんにちは
こんばんは
お久しぶりです
おかえりなさい
お疲れさまです
おやすみなさい
For example, you cannot create a polite form by attaching ございます to every greeting. Learn common greeting pairs as complete expressions.
How to Respond to Japanese Greetings
In many cases, the easiest response is to return the same greeting.
Good morning.
B: おはようございます。
Good morning.
Hello.
B: こんにちは。
Hello.
Long time no see!
B: 久しぶり！元気だった？
Long time no see! How have you been?
Some greeting pairs require a different response.
⇒ いってらっしゃい
ただいま
⇒ おかえり / おかえりなさい
お先に失礼します
⇒ お疲れさまでした
Five Beginner Conversations
Conversation 1: Morning at School
Good morning, teacher.
Teacher: おはよう。今日は早いですね。
Morning. You’re early today.
Conversation 2: Meeting During the Day
Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Emma.
B: はじめまして。田中です。よろしくお願いします。
Nice to meet you. I’m Tanaka. I look forward to getting along with you.
Conversation 3: Calling a Friend
Hello?
B: あ、もしもし。今、話せる？
Oh, hi. Can you talk now?
Conversation 4: Returning Home
I’m home!
B: おかえり。今日はどうだった？
Welcome back. How was your day?
Conversation 5: Ending the Night
It’s already late.
B: うん。じゃあ、また明日。おやすみ。
Yeah. See you tomorrow. Good night.
A: おやすみ。
Good night.
How to Pronounce Japanese Greetings Naturally
Keep the Rhythm Even
Japanese rhythm is based on morae—short timing units. Avoid placing one very strong English-style stress on a greeting.
お・は・よ・う
こんにちは
こ・ん・に・ち・は
こんばんは
こ・ん・ば・ん・は
もしもし
も・し・も・し
おやすみなさい
お・や・す・み・な・さ・い
Do Not Ignore Long Vowels
In おはよう, the final vowel is long. Romanization may write it as ohayou or ohayō.
Remember That は Can Be Pronounced Wa
こんばんは → konbanwa
Let Final U Become Light Naturally
The final u in expressions such as ございます and です may sound weak in natural speech. Learn the complete spelling rather than deleting it deliberately.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using Konnichiwa as Every Kind of “Hello”
Daytime: こんにちは
Evening: こんばんは
Phone: もしもし
Mistake 2: Using Moshi Moshi Face to Face
もしもし is primarily a telephone expression or an attention-checker. Use こんにちは as a daytime greeting and すみません to approach a stranger.
Mistake 3: Using Oyasuminasai as Good Evening
こんばんは
Going to sleep:
おやすみなさい
Mistake 4: Speaking Casually to Everyone
Use polite greetings when the relationship is unclear. You can become more casual after observing how people around you speak.
Mistake 5: Saying Hajimemashite at the Second Meeting
はじめまして is only for the first meeting. At the second meeting, use a time-of-day greeting or another natural phrase.
Mistake 6: Using Sayounara for Every Casual Goodbye
Among friends, またね, じゃあね, and また明日 often sound lighter and more natural.
Mistake 7: Translating Every Greeting Word for Word
Expressions such as よろしくお願いします and お疲れさまです perform social functions that change according to context. Learn the situation, not only an English gloss.
Mistake 8: Forgetting the Correct Kana
Incorrect: こんにちわ — common casual misspelling, but not standard
Correct: こんばんは
Incorrect: こんばんわ — common casual misspelling, but not standard
Correct: おはようございます
Incorrect: おはよございます
More Useful Japanese Greetings and Responses
How are you? / You good? — casual
お元気ですか？ (ogenki desu ka?)
How are you? — polite, often after time apart
ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)
Thank you — polite
すみません (sumimasen)
Excuse me / I’m sorry / Thank you for the trouble
お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu)
Excuse me for leaving before you
お気をつけて (oki o tsukete)
Take care
いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)
Welcome — used by staff to customers
どうぞよろしく (douzo yoroshiku)
Pleased to meet you / Please treat me favorably
It is a service greeting from the staff, not a question that demands an answer.
FAQ About Basic Japanese Greetings
How do you say hello in Japanese?
こんにちは is the most common daytime translation of “hello.” In the morning use おはようございます, in the evening use こんばんは, and on the phone use もしもし.
What is the most common Japanese greeting?
There is no single greeting for every situation. おはようございます, こんにちは, and こんばんは are the basic time-of-day greetings.
Is konnichiwa formal or casual?
こんにちは is neutral and polite enough for many ordinary daytime encounters. Among very close friends, it may sound more deliberate or formal than a casual “hi.”
How do you say hi casually in Japanese?
Depending on the relationship and situation, people may use やあ, どうも, おはよう, a person’s name, or simply begin with a context-related comment. There is no one casual “hi” used in every situation.
How do you greet someone for the first time?
Say はじめまして, introduce yourself, and finish with よろしくお願いします.
How do you greet someone you have not seen for a long time?
Say 久しぶり casually or お久しぶりです politely.
Can I say moshi moshi in person?
It can call for someone’s attention, but it is not an ordinary face-to-face greeting. Use すみません to approach a stranger.
What is the difference between konbanwa and oyasuminasai?
こんばんは means “good evening” and is used when meeting someone at night. おやすみなさい means “good night” and is used when parting for sleep or ending contact for the night.
How do Japanese people say goodbye?
さようなら means “goodbye,” but friends often use またね, じゃあね, or a specific expression such as また明日.
Do Japanese people bow when greeting?
Bowing commonly accompanies greetings, thanks, apologies, and introductions. The depth and formality depend on the social situation. A small natural bow is usually enough for a beginner in everyday encounters.
Why are there so many Japanese greetings?
Japanese greetings signal not only the time of day but also the relationship, social setting, direction of movement, work context, and stage of the interaction.
Should beginners always use polite greetings?
Polite forms are a safe starting point with adults you do not know well, teachers, customers, and senior coworkers. Use casual forms with close friends and family.
How do you respond to a Japanese greeting?
Return the same expression for greetings such as おはようございます and こんにちは. For paired expressions, answer いってきます with いってらっしゃい, and ただいま with おかえりなさい.
Is こんにちわ correct?
The standard spelling is こんにちは. The final は is pronounced wa because it originated as a topic particle.
Summary: Basic Japanese Greetings for Beginners
おはよう — casual
おはようございます — polite
● Daytime
こんにちは
● Evening
こんばんは
● Phone
もしもし
● First meeting
はじめまして
よろしくお願いします
● Reunion
久しぶり — casual
お久しぶりです — polite
● Leaving and returning home
いってきます ↔ いってらっしゃい
ただいま ↔ おかえりなさい
● Workplace
お疲れさまです
● Goodbye
またね / じゃあね — casual
さようなら — standard goodbye
● Bedtime
おやすみ — casual
おやすみなさい — polite
What time is it?
Who am I speaking to?
Are we meeting, leaving, calling, or returning?
References
- The Japan Foundation, Irodori Starter — Lesson 1 introduces basic greetings and greeting responses for everyday life in Japan.
- Kotobank: 挨拶語 — definition of greeting expressions used when meeting and parting.
- Kotobank: こんにちは — daytime greeting and its origin as a shortened longer expression.
- Kotobank: こんばんは — nighttime greeting and historical development.
- Kotobank: もしもし — telephone and attention-getting uses.
- Kotobank: おはよう — morning greeting and development from language connected with “early.”
- Kotobank: おやすみなさい — bedtime greeting.
- Kotobank: 久しぶり — greeting and “after a long interval” usage.