こんにちは
The English phrase "hello to a girl" is translated into Japanese as こんにちは.
Did you know?
- While many think of it as a greeting, こんにちは is actually a fragment of an older phrase meaning 'It is fine now', referring to the sunlight or the state of the weather.
- In Japanese, the politeness of a greeting is often determined by the level of bowing that accompanies it, rather than the word itself.
- Unlike English, where 'hello' is often used to answer a telephone, Japanese people traditionally use もしもし for phone greetings.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、元気？Konnichiwa, genki?Hello, how are you?
- こんにちは、今日も可愛いね。Konnichiwa, kyou mo kawaii ne.Hello, you look cute today too.
- こんにちは、また明日！Konnichiwa, mata ashita!Hello, see you tomorrow!
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki meet at school.
- 陽太 Yotaこんにちは、美咲さん。Konnichiwa, Misaki-san.Hello, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiこんにちは、陽太くん。Konnichiwa, Yota-kun.Hello, Yota.
- 陽太 Yotaいい天気ですね。Ii tenki desu ne.The weather is nice, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiそうですね。Sou desu ne.It is, isn't it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
