こんにちは
konnichiwa
The Japanese phrase for "hello good day" is こんにちは (konnichiwa).
こんにちは is a common greeting used to say hello during the daytime, typically from late morning until sunset.
Which one should you use?
While こんにちは is used for the daytime, you should use おはようございます for the early morning and こんばんは for the evening or night.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
こんにちは is a standard, polite greeting that is suitable for most social situations, such as speaking to acquaintances or strangers.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although the phrase is pronounced with the sound 'wa', it is written using the hiragana character は (ha) because it functions as a grammatical particle.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa
Did you know?
- Although it means 'hello', こんにちは is rarely used when speaking on the telephone. Instead, Japanese speakers use the word もしもし to initiate a phone call.
- Because こんにちは is grammatically a particle-based phrase, it is technically an incomplete sentence that historically meant 'As for today…'.
- While it is a polite greeting, using こんにちは with very close friends or family members can sometimes feel too formal or distant, as if you are treating them like strangers.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、元気ですか？Konnichiwa, genki 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
Ren and Yui meet on the street during the afternoon.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さん、こんにちは。Yui-san, konnichiwa.Hello, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、蓮さん、こんにちは！A, Ren-san, konnichiwa!Oh, hello, Ren!
- 蓮 Ren今日はとても暑いですね。Kyou wa totemo atsui desu ne.It is very hot today, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiそうですね、本当に。Sou desu ne, hontou ni.It certainly is, truly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
