挨拶
aisatsu[a̠isa̠t͡sɨ]
In Japanese, 挨拶 (aisatsu) is the word for greetings.
挨拶 refers to greetings and the broader concept of social etiquette. In a Japanese context, it describes not just the spoken words, but the entire social ritual of acknowledging someone's presence.
Meaning: formal way of saying "hello" (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of two characters: 挨, meaning to approach or greet and 拶, meaning to press or approach.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 挨拶 as a verb meaning 'to greet' or 'to give a greeting', you add the verb する (to do) to the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
aisatsu
When do people say it?
When offering greetings in Japanese, it is customary to bow slightly, especially in formal settings. When addressing people, it is also common to use honorifics such as -san or -sama.
Did you know?
- In a Japanese school or office, performing 挨拶 is not just a social politeness but often a formal, loud, and synchronized group activity to build discipline.
- The word 挨拶 can also refer to a formal speech or an opening remark given at a ceremony, moving far beyond a simple 'hello'.
- There is a concept called 挨拶回り which describes the custom of visiting multiple clients or neighbors in person to offer seasonal greetings.
Examples in context
- 挨拶は大切よ。Greetings are important.This sentence shows the importance of 挨拶.Tatoeba #10899549 by small_snow, translation #10899518 by CK
- トムは名刺を出して挨拶をした。Tom exchanged greetings by giving his business card.This sentence describes how Tom used a business card to perform 挨拶.Tatoeba #2694304 by tommy__san, translation #4642897 by corbinjurgens
- 一通りの挨拶が済むと早速例の問題を持ち出した。After the usual greetings were over, I lost no time in introducing the subject in question.This sentence illustrates finishing the usual 挨拶 before starting a conversation.Tatoeba #6466433 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #6466434 by fjay69
- 1 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are discussing business etiquette at a cafe.
- 蓮 Ren仕事では、まず挨拶が基本ですよ。Shigoto de wa, mazu aisatsu ga kihon desu yo.In business, greetings are the basic starting point.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、しっかり心がけます。Hai, shikkari kokoro gemasu.Yes, I will keep that in mind.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さんの態度はとても丁寧ですね。Yui-san no taido wa totemo teinei desu ne.Yui, your attitude is very polite.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます、蓮さん。Arigatou gozaimasu, Ren-san.Thank you, Ren.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 挨拶, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
