今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
In Japanese, hello can be expressed as 今日は (konnichi wa) or 今晩は.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は | konnichi wa | [kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠] (narrow) |
| 今晩は | konban wa | [kõ̞mbã̠ɰ̃β̞a̠] (narrow) |
今日は is a common, all-purpose greeting used from late morning until late afternoon to mean good day or good afternoon. 今晩は is used to say good evening once it has become dark or during the evening hours.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 今晩は literally means 'as for this evening'.
Which one should you use?
今日は is the appropriate greeting for the daytime, specifically from late morning through the afternoon, while 今晩は is used specifically in the evening or after dark.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'hello' to start any conversation, Japanese speakers often replace these specific time-based greetings with 'sumimasen' if they are trying to get a stranger's attention.
- The greeting 今日は is actually a fragment of a much longer sentence that asks about the listener's well-being or the weather.
- In Japanese culture, saying 今日は is almost always accompanied by a bow. The depth and duration of the bow change depending on the social status of the person you are greeting.
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This example shows how to use 今日は.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui meet on the street during the day.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さん、今日は。Yui-san, konnichiwa.Hello, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、健太さん、今日は。A, Kenta-san, konnichiwa.Oh, Kenta, hello.
- 健太 Kentaどこへ行くんですか？Doko e iku n desu ka?Where are you going?
- 結衣 Yui買い物に行きます。Kaimono ni ikimasu.I am going shopping.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 今日は, 今晩は, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 今日は, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
