今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
Hello in Japanese can be said as 今日は (konnichi wa). If unsure, use 今日は. 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 meaning hello or good day. Another version, 今晩は, is used as a greeting when meeting someone specifically in the evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The kanji used in 今日は literally translates to today.
Which one should you use?
今日は is used for a general greeting during the day, while 今晩は is used specifically to say good evening.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
Did you know?
- While 今日は is written with the characters for 'today', it is pronounced konnichi wa instead of kyō wa when used as a greeting.
- The greeting 今日は is actually an incomplete sentence that historically functioned as a lead-in to asking about someone's well-being or the weather.
- You will rarely hear 今日は used as a greeting when answering the phone, where a completely different word is used instead.
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
Example conversation
Yui and Ren meet at a library in the afternoon.
- 結衣 Yui蓮くん、今日は。Ren-kun, konnichiwa.Hello, Ren.
- 蓮 Renあ、結衣さん、今日は。A, Yui-san, konnichiwa.Oh, Yui, hello.
- 結衣 Yui勉強しているの？Benkyō shite iru no?Are you studying?
- 蓮 Renうん、テストがあるんだ。Un, tesuto ga aru nda.Yeah, I have a test.
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.
