先生、おはようございます
sensei, ohayō gozaimasu
The English phrase "good morning teacher" is translated into Japanese as 先生、おはようございます (sensei, ohayō gozaimasu).
This phrase is a polite greeting used to address a teacher at the start of the day. Unlike in English, where "teacher" is often placed after the greeting, in Japanese the title 先生 is placed before the greeting.
Which one should you use?
While 先生、おはようございます is the standard polite form, you may encounter variations such as Ohayou gozaimasu sensei which is also a common and polite way to express the same sentiment. For more casual interactions, Ohayou sensei is used informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The greeting おはよう becomes polite by adding ございます to the end, resulting in おはようございます. This is the standard way to address a teacher.
How do you pronounce it?
sensei, ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- The word 先生 literally translates to 'one who was born before', reflecting a cultural respect for age and experience rather than just a professional job title.
- In some professional environments, おはようございます is used as a first greeting of the day regardless of the actual time, even if it is late afternoon or evening.
- In some Japanese martial arts traditions, the morning greeting to the instructor is accompanied by a deep, formal bow called 'rei'.
Examples in context
- あ、先生、おはようございます！A, sensei, ohayou gozaimasu!Oh, good morning, teacher!
Example conversation
Two students meet their teacher in the school hallway.
- 陽太 Yota先生、おはようございます。Sensei, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, teacher.
- 美咲 Misakiおはようございます。二人とも早いですね。Ohayou gozaimasu. Futari tomo hayai desu ne.Good morning. You two are early.
- 陽太 Yotaはい、今日はテストがあるので。Hai, kyou wa tesuto ga aru node.Yes, because we have a test today.
- 美咲 Misaki頑張ってくださいね。Ganbatte kudasai ne.Good luck on it.
