Konnichiwa
romaji, daytime
In romaji, the Japanese "hello" is Konnichiwa. It is the standard greeting for daytime. On the phone, people say Moshi moshi. It is also called Yaa.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Note |
|---|---|
| Konnichiwa | romaji, daytime |
| Moshi moshi | romaji, phone |
| Yaa | romaji, casual |
Konnichiwa is used from late morning to the evening. In the morning say Ohayou gozaimasu, and in the evening say Konbanwa. Yaa is a casual hello among friends.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as "kohn-nee-chee-wah", with a clear double n in the middle.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Romaji spells the last sound of Konnichiwa with "wa", although the word is written with the hiragana は (ha) in Japanese. In romaji, you write what you hear.
Did you know?
- Romaji is the Latin spelling of Japanese, and the most common system is called Hepburn, which writes shi, chi and tsu.
Examples in context
- Konnichiwa, Tanaka-san.Hello, Mr. Tanaka.
- Moshi moshi, Sato desu.Hello, this is Sato.
- Yaa, genki?Hi, how are you?
Example conversation
Chris greets his language partner Maki in a cafe.
- ChrisKonnichiwa, Maki-san.Hello, Maki.
- MakiKonnichiwa, Kurisu-san. Genki desu ka?Hello, Chris. How are you?
- ChrisHai, genki desu.Yes, I am fine.
