今晩は
konban wa[kõ̞mbã̠ɰ̃β̞a̠]
Good evening in Japanese is 今晩は (konban wa). Wiktionary also lists お晩です (o-ban desu).
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 今晩は | konban wa | [kõ̞mbã̠ɰ̃β̞a̠] (narrow) |
| お晩です | o-ban desu |
今晩は is a greeting used when meeting someone in the evening, rather than a way to say "have a good evening" when leaving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 今晩は literally means "as for this evening".
How does it change in a sentence?
The は in 今晩は is a topic marker particle, which is why it is written with the hiragana character は in Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
konban wa
Did you know?
- When bowing while saying 今晩は, the depth of the bow changes based on social hierarchy. A slight nod is common among peers, while a deeper bow is required for a superior.
- The phrase 今晩は is essentially an unfinished sentence. In ancient Japanese, people would add a phrase like 'is cold' or 'is beautiful' after it, but eventually, the greeting stopped at the topic marker.
- In very formal business settings, Japanese people may avoid 今晩は entirely if they have already seen the person that day, opting instead for a phrase that acknowledges the hard work of the day.
Examples in context
- 今晩は、お元気ですか？Konbanwa, ogenki desu ka?Good evening, how are you?
- 今晩は、また明日。Konbanwa, mata ashita.Good evening, see you tomorrow.
- 今晩は、お疲れ様です。Konbanwa, otsukaresama desu.Good evening, thank you for your hard work.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari meet in a hallway during the evening.
- 蓮 Ren今晩は、陽葵さん。Konbanwa, Himari-san.Good evening, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari今晩は、蓮さん。Konbanwa, Ren-san.Good evening, Ren.
- 蓮 Ren今日は少し寒いですね。Kyou wa sukoshi samui desu ne.It is a little cold today, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariそうですね、風が冷たいです。Sou desu ne, kaze ga tsumetai desu.Yes, the wind is cold.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries 今晩は, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
