Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu | [o̞ha̠jo̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥] (narrow) | polite |
| おはよう | ohayō | [o̞ha̠jo̞ː] (narrow) | informal |
| おはようさん | ohayō san | Kansai |
This phrase is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning. In many workplaces, おはようございます is used as a standard greeting when seeing colleagues for the first time that day, regardless of the actual time of day.
Which one should you use?
おはよう is the standard informal version, while おはようございます is the polite version used for superiors or strangers. おはようさん is a regional variation used specifically in the Kansai area.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おはようございます is the most standard and formal way to say "good morning" in Japanese. It is required in professional settings or when addressing someone of higher social status. おはよう is the standard informal way and should be used with friends, family or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- The phrase おはようございます is grammatically a complete sentence which literally translates to 'It is early'.
- In many Japanese industries, such as entertainment or food service, staff use おはようございます even if they are meeting for the first time in the evening.
- The spelling of おはよう hides a history of dropped consonants, where a 'k' sound from the word 'hayaku' disappeared over hundreds of years.
Examples in context
- おはよう諸君。Good morning, everybody.This sentence is useful for practicing the informal form おはよう when addressing a group.Tatoeba #10908791 by small_snow, translation #22122 by CK
- 皆さんおはよう。Good morning, everyone.This sentence is useful for practicing the informal form おはよう when addressing everyone.Tatoeba #184991 by bunbuku, translation #22127 by CK
- トム、おはよう。Good morning, Tom.This sentence is useful for practicing the informal form おはよう when addressing an individual.Tatoeba #10033367 by small_snow, translation #2549163 by CK
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues meet in the office hallway in the morning.
- 大翔 Hirotoおはようございます。Ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さん、おはようございます。Hiroto-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日はいい天気ですね。Kyou wa ii tenki desu ne.The weather is nice today, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiそうですね。Sou desu ne.It is, isn't it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries おはようございます, おはよう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries おはよう, おはようございます, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
