今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
Hello in Japanese is expressed 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 term is used as a greeting. Other greetings are used depending on the time of day or the situation. For example, Ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます) is used in the morning until around 10:00 AM, whereas Konbanwa (こんばんは) is used in the evening, typically after 6:00 PM. If you are meeting someone for the first time, you can use Hajimemashite (はじめまして), which means 'Nice to meet you.'
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
Did you know?
- The phrase 今日は literally means 'as for today', acting as a fragment of a longer sentence that used to ask about your well-being or the weather.
- In Japan, greetings like 今日は are almost always accompanied by a bow. The depth and duration of the bow communicate the level of respect and the social hierarchy between the speakers.
- While English speakers use 'hello' to answer the phone, Japanese speakers almost never use 今日は for telephone greetings, opting instead for Moshi moshi.
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This sentence is useful for a simple greeting with 今日は.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
Example conversation
Yui and Ren meet at a cafe during the day.
- 結衣 Yui蓮くん、今日は！Ren-kun, konnichiwa!Hello, Ren!
- 蓮 Ren結衣ちゃん、今日は。久しぶりだね。Yui-chan, konnichiwa. Hisashiburi da ne.Hello, Yui. It's been a while.
- 結衣 Yui本当だね。元気だった？Honto da ne. Genki datta?It really has. Have you been well?
- 蓮 Renうん、元気だよ。Un, genki da yo.Yeah, I'm doing great.
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.
