こんにちは
konnichiwaneutral
The standard way to say "hello" in Japanese is こんにちは (konnichiwa). It is used in the daytime, while おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) is for the morning and こんばんは (konbanwa) for the evening.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | neutral |
| おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu | polite morning |
| こんばんは | konbanwa | evening |
A slight bow often goes with the greeting, especially in formal situations.
How do you pronounce it?
こんにちは (konnichiwa) is read ko-n-ni-chi-wa. The last syllable is written with は but pronounced "wa".
Did you know?
- The word こんにちは (konnichiwa) is usually not used in the morning or at night.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?Hello, how are you?
- こんばんは、いい夜ですね。Konbanwa, ii yoru desu ne.Good evening, it is a nice night.
Example conversation
Emi meets her neighbor Mr. Ito in the afternoon.
- Emiこんにちは。Konnichiwa.Hello.
- Mr. Itoこんにちは。いい天気ですね。Konnichiwa. Ii tenki desu ne.Hello. Nice weather.
- Emiそうですね。Sō desu ne.Yes, it is.
