こんにちは
Konnichiwa
こんにちは (Konnichiwa) is the Japanese phrase for 'good afternoon'.
こんにちは is the most widely used way to say 'good afternoon' in Japanese and can be used from late morning until early evening.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Which one should you use?
While こんにちは is for the afternoon, おはようございます is the standard polite greeting used in the morning and こんばんは is the standard polite greeting used in the evening.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
こんにちは is a standard, polite greeting suitable for strangers, acquaintances and colleagues, but it can feel slightly formal or stiff when used with very close friends or family.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although the phrase is pronounced 'konnichiwa', it is written with the hiragana character は (ha) because it functions as a topic marker particle.
How do you pronounce it?
Konnichiwa
Did you know?
- The phrase こんにちは is actually a truncated fragment of a much longer, more formal sentence that originally meant 'As for today (how is it/how are you)?'
- When saying こんにちは, it is common to perform a slight bow. The depth of the bow varies depending on the social status of the person you are greeting.
- If you use こんにちは to greet a very close friend, it may sound strangely distant or indicate that you are upset with them.
Examples in context
- こんにちは。Good afternoon.This sentence shows a simple greeting using こんにちは.Tatoeba #373351 by tommy_san, translation #499689 by CK
- 皆さん、こんにちは。Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.This sentence demonstrates how to use こんにちは when addressing a group.Tatoeba #13885289 by small_snow, translation #5386166 by CK
- こんにちは、先生。Konnichiwa, sensei.Good afternoon, teacher.
Example conversation
Two neighbors encounter each other on a sunny afternoon street.
- 陽葵 Himariこんにちは、蓮さん。Konnichiwa, Ren-san.Good afternoon, Ren.
- 蓮 Renこんにちは、陽葵さん。Konnichiwa, Himari-san.Good afternoon, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariいい天気ですね。Ii tenki desu ne.It's nice weather, isn't it?
- 蓮 Renそうですね。Sou desu ne.It is, isn't it?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
