おはようございます
ohayō gozaimasu[o̞ha̠jo̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥]polite
Good morning in Japanese 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 |
These phrases are used specifically for the first time you encounter someone during the morning hours.
Which one should you use?
The difference between the forms is the level of politeness. Adding ございます to the end of おはよう makes the greeting polite and formal, whereas the shorter おはよう is more casual.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The polite form おはようございます is used with superiors, teachers or strangers. The informal version おはよう is used with friends, family or people of lower social status.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Tohoku region, it is common to use おはようさん to address someone politely.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- In many Japanese workplaces, such as in the theater or construction industries, it is common practice to say おはようございます to colleagues regardless of what time it is, even if it is 8:00 PM.
- The phrase おはよう effectively translates to 'You are early' rather than just 'Good morning'. It originally served as a way to acknowledge that someone had arrived or started their work at an early hour.
- The 'u' ending in おはよう is actually a linguistic fossil. While most adverbs in Japanese reverted to a 'ku' ending, this specific expression preserved an older 'u' sound from the Muromachi period.
Examples in context
- おはよう諸君。Good morning, everybody.This sentence shows how to use the informal form 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 shows how to use the informal form to address everyone.Tatoeba #184991 by bunbuku, translation #22127 by CK
- トム、おはよう。Good morning, Tom.This sentence shows how to use the informal form to address a person by name.Tatoeba #10033367 by small_snow, translation #2549163 by CK
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At the entrance of an office in the morning.
- 陽葵 Himariおはようございます、健太さん。Ohayō gozaimasu, Kenta-san.Good morning, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵さん、おはようございます。Himari-san, ohayō gozaimasu.Good morning, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari今日は天気がいいですね。Kyō wa tenki ga ii desu ne.The weather is nice today, isn't it?
- 健太 Kentaそうですね、気持ちいいです。Sō desu ne, kimochi ii desu.It is, it feels great.
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.
