こんにちは、いとこ
konnichiwa, itoko
To say "hello cousin" in Japanese, use こんにちは、いとこ (konnichiwa, itoko).
This phrase is used specifically as a greeting when addressing a cousin.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, itoko
Did you know?
- The greeting こんにちは is actually a fragment of a longer sentence that used to mean 'it is today'. Over centuries, the end of the sentence was dropped, leaving only the 'today' part as a standalone greeting.
- In actual Japanese conversation, it is quite rare to address a cousin directly by the word いとこ. Most people would use the cousin's name followed by a title like -san or -chan instead.
- When greeting a cousin, Japanese speakers often use a small nod or a slight bow. The depth of the bow changes based on how close the cousins are and their relative ages.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki meet at a family gathering.
- 健太 Kentaこんにちは、いとこ！Konnichiwa, itoko!Hello, cousin!
- 美咲 Misakiこんにちは、健太。Konnichiwa, Kenta.Hello, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta元気だった？Genki datta?Have you been well?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、とても元気だよ。Un, totemo genki dayo.Yes, I am doing very well.
