今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
The English phrase 'hello' translates to 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) |
In Japanese, greetings change based on the time of day. While こんにちは is the standard and most commonly used greeting and can be translated as 'hello' or 'good day', other greetings are specific to certain times. For example, おはようございます is used specifically in the morning until around 10 am and means 'good morning' and こんばんは means 'good evening' and is used during the evening or night time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 今晩は literally means 'as for this evening'.
Which one should you use?
Use こんにちは for a general 'hello' or 'good day'. Use 今晩は specifically as a greeting when meeting someone in the evening.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
When do people say it?
Accompanying a greeting with a slight bow is a common practice in Japan.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'hello' to answer the phone, Japanese speakers typically use もしもし instead of a time-based greeting.
- In business settings, a greeting is often preceded by お疲れ様です, which recognizes the other person's hard work. This is often more important than a standard 'hello'.
- In modern Japanese, the greeting こんにちは is rarely used when entering one's own home or speaking to family members. Instead, people use phrases like ただいま, which means 'I have returned'.
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This example shows the use of 今日は for a greeting.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto meet on the street during the day.
- 結衣 Yui今日は、大翔さん。Konnichiwa, Hiroto-san.Hello, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hirotoあ、結衣さん、今日は！A, Yui-san, konnichiwa!Oh, Yui, hello!
- 結衣 Yuiどこへ行くんですか？Doko e iku n desu ka?Where are you going?
- 大翔 Hiroto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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
