お父さん、お母さん、こんにちは
otousan, okaasan, konnichiwa
To say "hello mom and dad" in Japanese, use お父さん、お母さん、こんにちは (otousan, okaasan, konnichiwa).
This phrase is a greeting used when speaking to one's father and mother. While お父さん and お母さん are used to address one's own parents when speaking to them or others, they are also the standard way to refer to someone else's parents.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using the o- prefix with tousan and kaasan makes the address to parents polite and respectful.
How do you pronounce it?
otousan, okaasan, konnichiwa
Did you know?
- Even though okaasan means 'mother', a woman might use the much more humble term haha when describing her own mother to a stranger or a colleague.
- When a child returns home, they often skip 'hello' entirely and instead say ただいま 'tadaima', which literally translates to 'I am home'.
- The term 親父 'oyaji' is a traditional way to address a father that carries a rough or masculine connotation compared to お父さん.
Example conversation
Misaki enters the living room to greet her parents.
- 美咲 Misakiお父さん、お母さん、こんにちは。Otousan, okaasan, konnichiwa.Hello mom and dad.
- 陽太 Yotaおかえり、美咲。Okaeri, Misaki.Welcome home, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiただいま！Tadaima!I'm home!
- 陽太 Yota今日は早かったね。Kyou wa hayakatta ne.You were early today, weren't you?
