こんにちは
konnichiwa
The Japanese phrase for "good noon" is こんにちは (konnichiwa).
こんにちは is a daytime greeting used from late morning until sunset. It can be translated as "Hello" or "Good day" and is appropriate to use during the period from late morning until late afternoon.
What does it mean word for word?
The final syllable of こんにちは is actually the particle は, which serves as a topic marker.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle は (pronounced 'wa') marks the topic of the sentence in this historical greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa
What mistakes should you avoid?
When writing in Japanese, English speakers often mistakenly use the character わ, but the word must be written with the particle は.
Did you know?
- こんにちは is actually an unfinished sentence. Historically it was followed by phrases like いい天気ですね ('the weather is nice, isn't it'), meaning it literally began as 'as for today'.
- In Japanese culture, the greeting こんにちは is often accompanied by a bow, but the depth and duration of the bow change depending on the social status of the person being greeted.
- While it is a general greeting, saying こんにちは to a close friend or family member can sound strangely formal or distant in Japanese.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?Hello, how are you?
- こんにちは、いい天気ですね。Konnichiwa, ii tenki desu ne.Hello, the weather is nice, isn't it?
- 先生、こんにちは。Sensei, konnichiwa.Hello, teacher.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki meet in a park during the afternoon.
- 健太 Kentaこんにちは、美咲さん。Konnichiwa, Misaki-san.Hello, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiあ、健太さん、こんにちは！A, Kenta-san, konnichiwa!Oh, hello Kenta!
- 健太 Kenta今日はとても暑いですね。Kyou wa totemo atsui desu ne.It is very hot today.
- 美咲 Misakiそうですね、大変です。Sou desu ne, taihen desu.It is, it's tough.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
