先生、こんばんは
sensei, konbanwa
The phrase "good evening teacher" in Japanese is 先生、こんばんは (sensei, konbanwa).
This phrase is a polite greeting used to say hello to a teacher in the evening. In Japanese, it is more natural to place the title 先生 at the beginning of the greeting rather than at the end.
How do you pronounce it?
sensei, konbanwa
When do people say it?
The term 先生 is used not only for school teachers but also for doctors, lawyers and other professionals or masters of a craft. You can also add a teacher's name to the greeting, such as Konbanwa, Tanaka-sensei.
Did you know?
- While 先生 means 'teacher', it literally translates to 'one who was born before'. This reflects a cultural view that the teacher possesses wisdom simply by having lived longer.
- In a professional setting, saying こんばんは to a superior might be seen as too casual. Some students might instead use お疲れ様です, which acknowledges the teacher's hard work.
- The greeting こんばんは is a contraction of an older phrase meaning 'Tonight is…', which would eventually be followed by a description of the atmosphere.
Examples in context
- 先生、こんばんは！お元気ですか？Sensei, konbanwa! Ogenki desu ka?Good evening, teacher! How are you?
- あ、先生、こんばんは。A, sensei, konbanwa.Oh, good evening, teacher.
Example conversation
A student greets a teacher in the hallway during the evening.
- 美咲 Misaki先生、こんばんは。Sensei, konbanwa.Good evening, teacher.
- 蓮 Renこんばんは、美咲さん。Konbanwa, Misaki-san.Good evening, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misaki今日は遅くまでお仕事ですか？Kyou wa osoku made oshigoto desu ka?Are you working late today?
- 蓮 Renええ、少しだけね。Ee, sukoshi dake ne.Yes, just a little bit.
