おはようございます
ohayō gozaimasu[o̞ha̠jo̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥]polite
Good morning in Japanese is said using 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 |
The phrase is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning, typically until around 10 AM. However, in many Japanese workplaces, it is common to use either おはよう or おはようございます as a greeting even if it is not the morning, as long as it is the first time you see that person that day.
Which one should you use?
The full form おはようございます is used for people such as teachers, bosses or strangers, while the shortened おはよう is used for friends and family.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おはようございます is the polite and formal way to say 'Good Morning'. おはよう is the informal version.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form おはようさん is a regional variation used in the Kansai dialect.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- The word おはよう is a linguistic fossil. While most modern Japanese adverbs end in -ku, this greeting preserves an ancient -u ending that disappeared from most of the language during the Muromachi period.
- In the high-pressure environment of Japanese entertainment and sports industries, おはようございます is often used as a greeting the first time a colleague is seen, even if it is midnight.
- The 'o' in おはよう is an honorific prefix, which was originally used to show respect to the person you are greeting.
Examples in context
- おはよう諸君。Good morning, everybody.This sentence is useful for seeing the informal form おはよう used with 'everybody'.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 form おはよう used with '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 form おはよう used with a person's name.Tatoeba #10033367 by small_snow, translation #2549163 by CK
- おはようございます、田中さん。Good morning, Mr./Ms. Tanaka.
- おはよう、みなさん！Good morning, everyone!
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman meet in their apartment building hallway.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太さん、おはようございます。Hinata-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Hinata-san.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵さん、おはようございます。Himari-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Himari-san.
- 陽葵 Himari今日はとても寒いですね。Kyou wa totemo samui desu ne.It is very cold today, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、本当にそうですね。Hai, hontou ni sou desu ne.Yes, it really is.
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.
