出会いと別れ
deai to wakare
The phrase 'hello and goodbye' in Japanese is 出会いと別れ (deai to wakare).
This phrase refers to the concept of meeting someone for the first time and the act of parting from them. Japanese speakers use specific greetings depending on the time of day or social context. For example, Konnichiwa is a versatile way to say 'hello' during the daytime. For morning greetings, one might use Ohayou gozaimasu formally or the casual Ohayou. In the evening, Konbanwa is used for 'good evening'.
How do you pronounce it?
deai to wakare
When do people say it?
When using greeting phrases, it is customary to bow slightly, particularly in formal situations.
Did you know?
- When parting from a colleague, it is common to say お疲れ様でした instead of a standard 'goodbye', which literally means 'you are tired'.
- The concept of 一期一会, which relates to 出会い, suggests that every single meeting is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can never be repeated.
- While 'hello' can be used to start a conversation, the term こんにちは (konnichiwa) is technically a fragment of an older greeting that meant 'As for today…'.
Examples in context
- 出会いと別れは人生の醍醐味です。Deai to wakare wa jinsei no daigomi desu.Meetings and partings are the real pleasures of life.
- この映画は出会いと別れを描いています。Kono eiga wa deai to wakare o egaite imasu.This movie depicts meetings and partings.
- 出会いと別れを繰り返して成長する。Deai to wakare o kurikaeshite seichou suru.One grows through repeated meetings and partings.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about their school graduation.
- 蓮 Ren卒業して寂しいけれど、出会いと別れは大切だね。Sotsugyō shite sabishii keredo, deai to wakare wa taisetsu da ne.I'm sad to graduate, but meetings and partings are important, aren't they?
- 美咲 Misakiそうだね。たくさんの良い思い出ができたよ。Sō da ne. Takusan no yoi omoide ga dekita yo.You're right. I've made many great memories.
- 蓮 Ren美咲に会えて本当によかった。Misaki ni aete hontō ni yokatta.I'm really glad I got to meet you, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misaki私もだよ。またいつか会おうね。Watashi mo da yo. Mata itsuka aō ne.Me too. Let's meet again someday.
