やあ
yā[ja̠ː]
The English phrase 'hi' can be translated into Japanese as やあ (yā). Wiktionary also lists どうも (dōmo) and よう (yō).
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | [ja̠ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| よう | yō | [jo̞ː] (narrow) |
やあ is a laid-back way to say hey or hi.
Which one should you use?
While やあ is a pure greeting, どうも is a versatile word that can mean 'hi', 'thanks' or 'hello' depending on the context and tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
よう is a very casual, masculine-coded way to say 'hi' or 'hey' among close male friends. In contrast, for more formal settings, you might use こんにちは for 'hello' or 'good day', おはようございます for a respectful 'good morning' or こんばんは for 'good evening'.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- The greeting どうも is built from the words 'how' and 'even', meaning 'no matter how' or 'in all cases'.
- Japanese speakers often accompany a casual greeting like やあ with a small nod or a slight wave, but a deep bow would be contradictory to the informal tone.
- While やあ is a casual greeting, using it with a superior in a Japanese workplace can be seen as an assertion of dominance or an overly familiar gesture.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?This example shows how to use やあ to ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #193152 by bunbuku, translation #30316 by Zifre
- やあ、みんな！Hi, everybody!This example shows how to use やあ to greet a group.Tatoeba #10625672 by small_snow, translation #466652 by Alkrasnov
- やあ、調子はどう。Hi! What's new?This example shows how to use やあ to ask what is new.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet up at a cafe.
- 大翔 Hirotoやあ、結衣！久しぶりだね。Yaa, Yui! Hisashiburi da ne.Hi, Yui! It's been a while.
- 結衣 Yui大翔！元気にしてた？Hiroto! Genki ni shiteta?Hiroto! Have you been doing well?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、元気だよ。ありがとう。Un, genki da yo. Arigatou.Yeah, I'm good. Thanks.
- 結衣 Yuiよかった。さあ、入ろう。Yokatta. Saa, hairou.I'm glad. Come on, let's go in.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries やあ, どうも, よう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries どうも, よう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
