こんにちは、お元気ですか？
konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?
The phrase "hello, how are you?" in Japanese is こんにちは、お元気ですか？ (konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?)
This phrase is used to start a conversation and ask about someone's well-being. The first part, こんにちは, serves as a daytime greeting meaning "hello" or "good day". The second part, お元気ですか？, is used to ask how someone is doing.
Which one should you use?
While こんにちは、お元気ですか？ is the standard way to phrase this, you can make the inquiry much more casual for friends by dropping the お prefix and the ですか ending to say 元気？
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle か at the end of ですか turns the statement into a polite question.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you お元気ですか？, a standard polite response is はい、元気です (Yes, I am well). Use こんにちは specifically as a daytime greeting, rather than using it in the morning or evening.
Did you know?
- The greeting こんにちは was originally part of a longer sentence meaning 'Since it is today'. Over time, the second half of the sentence was dropped, leaving only the greeting.
- When answering お元気ですか？, a Japanese speaker might say おかげさまで before saying they are well. This phrase means 'thanks to you' or 'thanks to your support', even if the other person did nothing to help.
- In many Japanese social contexts, asking お元気ですか？ can actually signal that you haven't seen someone in a very long time. Using it with a close friend you see every day might actually sound strangely formal or even suspicious.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?Hello, how are you?
- 久しぶりです。こんにちは、お元気ですか？Hisashiburi desu. Konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?It's been a long time. Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さん、こんにちは、お元気ですか？Yōta-san, konnichiwa, o-genki desu ka?Yota, hello, how are you?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、元気です。結衣さんは？Hai, genki desu. Yui-san wa?Yes, I'm fine. How about you, Yui?
- 結衣 Yui私も元気です。ありがとうございます。Watashi mo genki desu. Arigatō gozaimasu.I am also doing well. Thank you.
- 陽太 Yotaそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.I'm glad to hear that.
