おはようございます
ohayō gozaimasu[o̞ha̠jo̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥]polite
In Japanese, "good morning" is said as おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu). Wiktionary also lists おはよう (ohayō) and おはようさん (ohayō san).
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
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. You can also use the extended expression おはようございます、お元気ですか？ to say "Good morning, how are you?"
Which one should you use?
The polite version is おはようございます, while the informal version is おはよう.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おはようございます is the standard and most commonly used phrase to say "good morning" in a polite way. Use it when speaking to superiors, teachers or strangers. おはよう is the casual way to say "good morning" and should only be used among friends, family members or people of lower social status than yourself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
おはようさん is a regional variation used in the Kansai area of Japan.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- In certain Japanese workplaces, such as in the entertainment or service industries, staff often use おはようございます to greet each other even if it is late at night or the middle of the afternoon.
- While it means 'good morning', the core of the phrase おはよう is actually the word 'early', making the literal sense 'it is early'.
- The word ohayō is a linguistic fossil where the adverbial ending 'u' stuck instead of reverting to the standard 'ku' used in most other modern Japanese adverbs.
Examples in context
- おはよう諸君。Good morning, everybody.This sentence is useful for seeing the informal おはよう used to address 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 seeing the informal おはよう used to address everyone.Tatoeba #184991 by bunbuku, translation #22127 by CK
- トム、おはよう。Good morning, Tom.This sentence is useful for seeing the informal おはよう used when addressing a person by name.Tatoeba #10033367 by small_snow, translation #2549163 by CK
- おはよう！元気？Good morning! Are you feeling well?
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a bright office entrance during the start of the workday.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さん、おはようございます。Yui-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Yui.
- 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今日は早いですね。Kyou wa hayai desu ne.You are early today.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、少し早めに来ました。Hai, sukoshi hayame ni kimashita.Yes, I arrived a little early.
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.
