こんにちは
konnichiwa
The phrase "hello to friends" in Japanese is translated as こんにちは (konnichiwa).
こんにちは is a common greeting used to say hello to people during the day.
Which one should you use?
こんにちは is specifically used during the day. For morning greetings, you should use おはよう and for evening greetings, use こんばんは.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In the context of very close friends, こんにちは can feel slightly formal or stiff. Among close friends, people often use more casual greetings or simply a nod. For an informal morning greeting among friends or acquaintances before noon, you can use おはよう.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although the final syllable is written with the character は (ha), it is pronounced as 'wa' because it functions as a topic marker.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa
Did you know?
- Historically, こんにちは was not just a greeting but the beginning of a longer sentence such as 'Today is…'. Over time, the sentence was clipped, leaving only the opening phrase as a standalone greeting.
- While こんにちは is a general greeting, Japanese has a specific word お疲れ様 (otsukaresama) used to say 'hello' or 'good job' to colleagues upon meeting them at work.
- When greeting friends over the phone, Japanese people almost never use こんにちは and instead use もしもし (moshimoshi).
Examples in context
- こんにちは、元気？Konnichiwa, genki?Hello, how are you?
- こんにちは、久しぶり！Konnichiwa, hisashiburi!Hello, long time no see!
- あ、こんにちは。A, konnichiwa.Oh, hello.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki run into each other on a sunny street.
- 陽太 Yotaこんにちは、美咲さん。Konnichiwa, Misaki-san.Hello, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiあ、陽太くん、こんにちは！A, Yota-kun, konnichiwa!Oh, Yota, hello!
- 陽太 Yota今日はいい天気だね。Kyou wa ii tenki dane.The weather is nice today, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misaki本当だね。Hontou dane.It really is.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
