今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
The English phrase hello is expressed in 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) |
今日は is a greeting typically used from late morning through the afternoon. 今晩は is used when greeting someone in the evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 今晩は literally means as for tonight.
Which one should you use?
今日は is used during the daytime, while 今晩は is used for evening greetings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Tokyo, informal greetings such as ちーっす or やあ are commonly used among friends.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
When do people say it?
Japanese greetings are highly dependent on the time of day. For instance, one might use おはようございます in the morning until around 10 a.m., こんにちは during the day, and こんばんは in the evening.
Did you know?
- Japanese speakers often use different 'hellos' when answering the phone, such as もしもし, which is a word that has no direct equivalent in the standard 'hello' greetings.
- The phrase 今日は is actually a fragment of a much longer, more polite sentence that once asked 'How are you feeling today?' Over time, the question was dropped, leaving only the topic 'As for today'.
- While こんにちは is the standard 'hello', Japanese people often accompany the greeting with a bow. The depth and duration of the bow change depending on the social status of the person being greeted.
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This example shows the use of 今日は.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet on a sidewalk during the afternoon.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日は、結衣さん。Konnichiwa, Yui-san.Hello, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、大翔さん、今日は！A, Yamato-san, konnichiwa!Oh, Yamato, hello!
- 大翔 Hirotoどこへ行くんですか？Doko e iku n desu ka?Where are you going?
- 結衣 Yuiスーパーへ行きます。Sūpā e ikimasu.I am going to the supermarket.
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.
