今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
The English phrase hello is translated into 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) |
The phrase is used as a greeting.
Which one should you use?
While 今日は is used for daytime greetings, 今晩は is used specifically for evening greetings.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the greeting 今日は, the は is a topic marker particle, which is why it is often written as は (ha) even though it is pronounced wa.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
Did you know?
- The phrase 今日は is actually a grammatical fragment. It is a shortened version of longer polite sentences such as 'How are you feeling today?' or 'It is fine weather today'.
- While English speakers use 'hello' for almost any situation, Japanese speakers almost never use 今日は to answer the telephone. They typically use もしもし instead.
- In many cultures, 'hello' is a way to start a conversation, but in Japan, the greeting 今日は is often paired with a polite bow. The depth of the bow can signal the level of respect being shown.
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
- おはようございます 、山田さん。Good morning, Mr./Ms. Yamada.
- お早うございます 、社長。Good morning, boss.
- おはよう 、みんな！Good morning, everyone!
Example conversation
Yota and Yui meet each other on the street during the day.
- 陽太 Yota結衣さん、今日は！Yui-san, konnichiwa!Hello, Yui!
- 結衣 Yuiあ、陽太さん、こんにちは。A, Yota-san, konnichiwa.Oh, hello, Yota.
- 陽太 Yotaどこへ行くんですか？Doko e iku n desu ka?Where are you going?
- 結衣 Yui図書館へ行きます。Toshokan e ikimasu.I am going to the library.
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.
