やあ
yā[ja̠ː]
The Japanese phrase for hi casually is やあ (yā), which is the default form.
やあ is a casual way of saying hi used among friends or peers.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- Many Japanese people prefer to use どうも as a multipurpose casual greeting, which can mean 'hi', 'thanks' or 'goodbye' depending on the context.
- While やあ is a friendly greeting, it can sometimes feel slightly old-fashioned or 'manga-style' to younger generations, who might prefer more modern slang.
- Japanese has no single word that perfectly matches the versatility of 'hi', as greetings are strictly divided by the social hierarchy between the speakers.
Examples in context
- おっす、元気？Hi, how are you?
- おっす、元気だよ！Hey, I'm good!
- よう、宿題やった？Hey, did you do your homework?
- やあ、久しぶり！Ya, hisashiburi!Hi, long time no see!
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui meet casually on a street.
- 大翔 Hirotoやあ、結衣！Ya, Yui!Hi, Yui!
- 結衣 Yuiあ、大翔。元気だった？A, Hiroto. Genki datta?Oh, Hiroto. Have you been well?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、元気だよ。Un, genki da yo.Yeah, I'm doing well.
- 結衣 Yuiよかった。Yokatta.That's good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry やあ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
