こんにちは、お父さん
konnichiwa, otousan
In Japanese, 'hello father' is said as こんにちは、お父さん (konnichiwa, otousan).
This phrase is used as a greeting when addressing one's father.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term お父さん is a polite way to address your own father or the father of another person. For expressing utmost respect towards one's father, the formal term 父上 is used.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, otousan
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, where 'Dad' is almost exclusively for the father, お父さん can also be used as a polite way to refer to any middle-aged man who looks like a father.
- When greeting a father upon returning home, Japanese people usually say ただいま meaning 'I am home' instead of using a general 'hello' like こんにちは.
- The word こんにちは (konnichiwa) used in the greeting is actually a shortened version of a much longer, older-style greeting that originally mentioned 'the things of today'.
Example conversation
A daughter greets her father when he returns home.
- 蓮 Renこんにちは、お父さん。Konnichiwa, otüsan.Hello, father.
- 美咲 Misakiただいま、美咲。Tadaima, Misaki.I'm home, Misaki.
- 蓮 Renおかえりなさい！Okaerinasai!Welcome back!
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう。Arigatô.Thank you.
