こんにちは、日本へようこそ
konnichiwa, nihon e yōkoso
The Japanese phrase for "hello welcome to japan" is こんにちは、日本へようこそ (konnichiwa, nihon e yōkoso).
This phrase is used to greet and welcome someone who has just arrived in Japan. It is most commonly heard from airline staff, airport staff or tour guides upon a traveler's arrival in the country.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of two main parts: こんにちは (konnichiwa), which translates to "hello" or "good day," and ようこそ (yōkoso), which means "welcome" and is used specifically to welcome someone to a place.
How does it change in a sentence?
The greeting こんにちは (konnichiwa) is a standard daytime greeting used from late morning through late afternoon.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, nihon e yōkoso
Did you know?
- Japanese has a concept called おもてなし (omotenashi), which describes the wholehearted hospitality that motivates staff to use phrases like ようこそ with extreme politeness.
- The particle は in こんにちは is actually written with the character for 'ha', but it is pronounced as 'wa' because it functions as a topic marker in its original grammatical form.
- The word ようこそ is often accompanied by a deep bow from staff, as the verbal welcome is considered incomplete without the physical gesture of respect.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、日本へようこそ。Konnichiwa, Nihon e yokoso.Hello, welcome to Japan.
- こんにちは、日本へようこそ！待っていましたよ。Konnichiwa, Nihon e yokoso! Matte imashita yo.Hello, welcome to Japan! I have been waiting for you.
- こんにちは、日本へようこそ。旅行を楽しんでください。Konnichiwa, Nihon e yokoso. Ryoko o tanoshinde kudasai.Hello, welcome to Japan. Please enjoy your trip.
Example conversation
Yota meets Yui at the airport after her long flight.
- 陽太 Yotaこんにちは、日本へようこそ、結衣さん。Konnichiwa, Nihon e yokoso, Yui-san.Hello, welcome to Japan, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます、陽太さん。Arigato gozaimasu, Yota-san.Thank you, Yota.
- 陽太 Yota今日はいい天気ですね。Kyo wa ii tenki desu ne.The weather is nice today, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、とても気持ちいいです。Hai, totemo kimochi ii desu.Yes, it feels very good.
