こんにちは
konnichiwa
こんにちは (konnichiwa) is the Japanese way to say hello respectfully during the day.
こんにちは is a typical way to say hello in a formal setting during the day.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
こんにちは is a standard greeting that is neutral in politeness and can be used with strangers or acquaintances. For more specific times of day, you might use おはようございます to greet someone in the morning, which is suitable for formal occasions or encounters with people of higher status or こんばんは to say "good evening" in the evening. For a formal and somewhat old-fashioned greeting used to express respect, you can use ごきげんよう.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the written form of こんにちは, the final syllable is written with the character は (ha), but it is pronounced as 'wa' because it functions as a topic marker.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa
Did you know?
- The phrase こんにちは actually functions as a fragment of a longer sentence. Historically, it was part of a phrase like 'How is your condition today?', where the 'today' part was the only part that remained as a standalone greeting.
- In a business context, a respectful 'hello' is often accompanied by a bow, and the depth and duration of the bow communicate the level of respect more than the word こんにちは itself.
- While こんにちは is used for 'hello', you will rarely hear Japanese people use it to greet a close friend or family member at home, as it is considered too stiff and formal for intimate relationships.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、いい天気ですね。Konnichiwa, ii tenki desu ne.Hello, it is nice weather, isn't it?
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Konnichiwa, o genki desu ka?Hello, how are you?
- こんにちは、初めまして。Konnichiwa, hajimemashite.Hello, nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Two neighbors meet on the street during the afternoon.
- 陽葵 Himariこんにちは、陽太さん。Konnichiwa, Yōta-san.Hello, Yota.
- 陽太 Yotaあ、陽葵さん、こんにちは。A, Himari-san, konnichiwa.Oh, Hello, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariどこへ行くのですか。Doko e iku no desu ka.Where are you going?
- 陽太 Yotaスーパーへ行きます。Sūpā e ikimasu.I am going to the supermarket.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
