If you are learning Japanese or planning to visit Japan, it is essential to know the different ways to greet people. In this article, we will explore ways to say ‘hi’ and ‘hello’ in Japanese and how to use them correctly.
Japan is an ancient country with more than 47 provinces, each with its own culture and dialect. Additionally, Japan has a formal and respectful language. This allows for the existence of various ways to greet in Japanese. In this article, you will discover 50 ways to say hi or hello in Japanese.
Let’s start with the most common ways to say hi in Japanese. The greetings we will see below are used in everyday situations when meeting someone. We will not go into detail on expressions like good afternoon and good night.
We also recommend reading: Greetings, salutations, and farewells in Japanese
Table of Contents
How to say hi and hello in Japanese?
See below the main ways to say hi in Japanese:
こんにちは (Konnichiwa)
“Konnichiwa” is the most common greeting in Japanese, which can be used at any time of the day. This word is a combination of two Japanese words: “Konnichi,” which means “today,” and “wa,” which is a particle that indicates the end of the sentence.
Together, “Konnichiwa” means “hello” or “good afternoon.” It is appropriate to use “Konnichiwa” when meeting someone for the first time or when you meet friends, colleagues, or acquaintances on different occasions.
We recommend reading: Konnichiwa – Good Afternoon in Japanese – Origin and Meaning
おはよう (Ohayou)
“Ohayou” is used to say “good morning” in Japanese. It is generally used until lunchtime. It is a casual form of greeting, suitable for friends, family, or coworkers you know well. It is important to note that the “o” in “Ohayou” is an honorific particle added to express respect for the person you are speaking to.
We recommend reading: What does Ohayou Gozaimasu really mean?
こんばんは (Konbanwa)
“Konbanwa” is used to say “good evening” in Japanese. It is generally used after dinner or when meeting someone at night. It is a casual form of greeting but can be used in more formal contexts, such as in business meetings. As with “Konnichiwa,” the particle “wa” is added at the end to indicate the end of the sentence.
おっす (Ossu)
“Ossu” is a casual form of greeting that is often used among friends or male colleagues. It is important to note that “Ossu” can be considered a bit rude or aggressive in some situations, and it is best to use it only with people you know well.
お元気ですか (Ogenki desu ka)
“Ogenki desu ka” is a formal greeting in Japanese that means “how are you?” or “how have you been?”. It is a polite way to start a conversation and shows that you care about the other person’s well-being. “Ogenki” means “well-being” or “health,” while “desu ka” is a formal expression used to ask questions in Japanese.
もしもし (Moshi moshi)
“Moshi moshi” is mainly used when you answer the phone in Japanese. It is a casual form of greeting, which can be translated as “hello” or “hi.” It is also used in informal contexts, such as when you meet friends or family in a public place.
Also read: Why do Japanese people say Moshi Moshi when talking on the phone?
Other ways to say hello in Japanese
In addition to the main ones mentioned, other ways to greet in Japanese are:
- 1 – Ohayou gozaimasu – おはようございます – Good morning – formal;
- 2 – Ohayou – おはよう – Good morning – informal;
- 3 – Kon’nichiwa – こんにちは – Good afternoon / Hello;
- 4 – Konbanwa – こんばんは – Good evening (when meeting);
- 5 – Moshi moshi – もしもし – Hello on the phone;
- 6 – Ossu – おっす – Used among close male friends;
- 7 – Yo – よぉ! – A super casual hello used by young people;
- 8 – Yahho! – やっほ～ – A cute way to say hello, used by girls;
- 9 – Yah! – やぁ! – Similar to the expression yo;
- 10 – tadaima! – ただいま! – I’m back – Used only when arriving home or somewhere;
- 11 – saikin dou? – 最近どう – Any news? How have you been lately? (informal);
- 12 – (o)hisashiburi – お久しぶり – Long time no see? Some say this directly;
- 13 – (o)genkidesuka – お元気ですか? – All good? How are you? Can be used directly;
- 14 – dou yo – どうよ? – How’s it going? – Don’t say this during an action, as it may refer to it;
- 15 – Ooi – おーい – Equivalent to Hey, often used when calling someone from a distance;
- 16 – Doumo – どうも – A way to say thank you, but also means hello or goodbye;
- 17 – Otsukare – お疲れ – A way to thank for work, but can be a greeting when you haven’t seen a coworker at the end of the workday;
- 18 – Maido – 毎度 – A way to say welcome to my store (Kansai) or thank you for coming (maido ari);
- 19 – Irasshai – いらっしゃい – Welcome – Greeting used by shopkeepers;
- 20 – Dore Dore – どれどれ – An expression that means “What do we have here?”, but loosely used as hello;
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In addition to the article, we also recommend watching our video below:
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Hi and Hello in other Japanese dialects
- Haisai – ハイサイ – Hi and Hello in the Ryuukyuu and Okinawa dialect;
- Niihaou – ニーハオ – Equivalent to Hello in Chinese;
- Haroo – ハロー – Equivalent to Hello in English;
- Uissu – ういっす – An alternative way to say ossu;
- Hayaina – はやいな(も) – A way to say ohayou in the Mie, Wakayama, and Aichi dialect;
- Haeno – はえのー – Good morning in the Miyazaki dialect;
- Chuusu – チュース – Popular in the 90s, adaptation of the word Tschuss from the German language;
- Onroo – おんろー – Hello from the Tsugaru dialect;
- Eetenkidee – ええてんきでぇ～ – Greeting from the Fukui dialect
- Tasshanaka – たっしゃなか – Greeting from the Wakayama dialect;
- Haenou – はえのう – Greeting from the Miyazaki dialect;
- Chiwa – ちわっ – Abbreviation of konnichiwa, used by men, gives an idea of hey;
- Chiwassu! – ちわっす! – Alternative to Chiwa, used by men;
- Chuu wuganabira – 今日拝なびら – Hello in the Okinawa dialect;
- Haitai – はいたい – Hello in the Okinawa dialect, used by women;
- Ukimisoochii – 起きみそーちー – Good morning in the Okinawa dialect;
- Ohayousan – おはようさん – Good morning in the Kansai region and dialect;
- Ohayougansu – おはよがんす – Good morning in the Iwate dialect;
- Koncha – こんちゃ – Abbreviation of konnichiwa;
- ncha – んちゃ – Another abbreviation of konnichiwa;
Ohayou in the 48 regions of Japan
| Hokkaido | おはよー |
| Aomori | おはよーごし |
| Iwate | おはよがんす |
| Miyagi | おはよー |
| Akita | おはよー |
| Yamagata | はやえなっす |
| Fukushima | はやえなっす |
| Ibaraki | おはよー |
| Tochigi | おはよー |
| Gunma | おはよー |
| Saitama | おはよー |
| Chiba | おはよー |
| Tokyo | おはよー |
| Kanagawa | おはよー |
| Niigata | おはよー |
| Toyama | おはよー |
| Ishikawa | おはよー |
| Fukui | おはよさん |
| Yamanashi | おはよーごいす |
| Nagano | おはよーござんす |
| Gifu | おはよー |
| Shizuoka | いあんばいです |
| Aichi | はやいなも |
| Triplo | はやいなー |
| Shiga | おはよーさん |
| Kyoto | おはよーさん |
| Osaka | おはよーさん |
| Hyogo | おはよーさん |
| Nara | おはよーさん |
| Wakayama | はやいのー |
| Tottori | おはよーござんす |
| Shimane | おはよ |
| Okayama | おはよー |
| Hiroshima | おはよーがんす |
| Yamaguchi | おはよーごぁんす |
| Tokushima | おはよーがーす |
| Kagawa | おはよーござんす |
| Ehime | おはよー |
| Kochi | おはよー |
| Fukuoka | おはよーござす |
| Saga | おはよーござんした |
| Nagasaki | おはよー |
| Kumamoto | おはよーござるます |
| Oita | おはよー |
| Miyazaki | はえのー |
| Kagoshima | こんちゃらごあす |
| Okinawa | っうきみそーちー |
The video in English below shows 10 ways to say hi and greet:
I hope you enjoyed this article. Do you know another different way to say hi, hello, or good morning in Japanese? We appreciate comments and shares. We also recommend reading:
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