今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
The English phrase hello can be translated into Japanese as 今日は (konnichi wa). Wiktionary also lists 今晩は (konban wa).
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) |
The phrase 今日は is used as a greeting. In more casual settings among close friends or peers, you might use やあ instead. For a polite greeting used specifically in the morning until around 10 am, use おはようございます.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
When do people say it?
In Japan, a deeper bow shows more respect.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'hello' to start a conversation, Japanese speakers often avoid using 今日は when answering the telephone, preferring もしもし.
- The greeting 今日は literally translates to 'as for today', making it a fragment of a sentence rather than a standalone word like 'hello'.
- While 今日は is written with the characters for 'today', the final particle は is pronounced as 'wa' instead of 'ha'.
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This sentence is useful for practicing the greeting 今日は.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
- こんにちは、元気ですか？Hello, how are you?
- やあ、最近どうだった？Hey, what have you been up to lately?
- おはようございます、今日はいい天気ですね。Good morning, it's nice weather today, isn't it?
- こんにちは、初めまして。私はサラです。Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Sara.
Example conversation
Two students meet in the hallway at school.
- 陽葵 Himari今日は、健太くん。Konnichiwa, Kenta-kun.Hello, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaあ、陽葵ちゃん、今日は。A, Himari-chan, konnichiwa.Oh, Himari, hello.
- 陽葵 Himari次の授業はどこですか？Tsugi no jugyō wa doko desu ka?Where is the next class?
- 健太 Kenta三階の教室だよ。Sangai no kyōshitsu dayo.It's in the third floor classroom.
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.
