ヤッホー
yahhoo
ヤッホー (yahhoo) is the Japanese way to say hello informally.
ヤッホー is a high-energy, very casual greeting used to get the attention of close friends. It is often used by women or children.
Which one should you use?
While ヤッホー is a casual greeting, it is much more energetic and less common in daily adult conversation than other standard informal greetings like Yaa or Ossu.
How do you pronounce it?
yahhoo
Did you know?
- The phrase ヤッホー is actually an onomatopoeia for the sound one makes when shouting into a valley or mountains to elicit an echo.
- While it is a friendly greeting, using ヤッホー toward a superior or a stranger would be seen as extremely childish or even eccentric.
- While used as a greeting, ヤッホー is also used by hikers in Japan as a specific call to check if anyone is nearby in the woods.
Examples in context
- ヤッホー！元気？Yapphoo! Genki?Yapphoo! How are you?
- ヤッホー、久しぶり！Yapphoo, hisashiburi!Yapphoo, long time no see!
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui see each other at a park.
- 健太 Kentaヤッホー、結衣！Yapphoo, Yui!Yapphoo, Yui!
- 結衣 Yuiあ、健太！ヤッホー！A, Kenta! Yapphoo!Oh, Kenta! Yapphoo!
- 健太 Kenta今日はいい天気だね。Kyou wa ii tenki dane.The weather is nice today, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yui本当だね。Hontou dane.It really is.
