やあ
yācasual, friendly
Japanese has no special word for greeting a crush. You use the greeting that fits how well you know the person. A relaxed やあ (yā) works for classmates and friends, and こんにちは (konnichiwa) is the polite choice. It is also called やっほー (yahhō).
Meaning: casual greeting to someone you like (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | casual, friendly |
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | polite, daytime |
| やっほー | yahhō | casual, cheerful |
Put the name first with a suffix, as in たなかくん、やあ (Tanaka-kun, yā) or さとうさん、こんにちは (Satō-san, konnichiwa). Using the name shows you noticed the person.
Which one should you use?
やっほー (yahhō) is bright and playful, mostly used among friends of the same age. おはよう (ohayō) is the casual greeting in the morning.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The suffix くん (-kun) is usually for boys and さん (-san) is the safe choice for anyone. Dropping the suffix is for people you are already close to.
Did you know?
- The greeting こんにちは (konnichiwa) is written with the particle は but pronounced "wa", a spelling left over from older Japanese.
Examples in context
- たなかくん、やあ。Tanaka-kun, yā.Hi, Tanaka.
- さとうさん、こんにちは。Satō-san, konnichiwa.Hello, Sato.
- おはよう、さとうさん。Ohayō, Satō-san.Good morning, Sato.
Example conversation
Haruka meets Ren in the school hallway after class.
- Harukaれんくん、やっほー。Ren-kun, yahhō.Ren, hi.
- Renあ、はるか。やあ。A, Haruka. Yā.Oh, Haruka. Hi.
- Harukaきょう、いっしょにかえらない?Kyō, issho ni kaeranai?Want to walk home together today?
- Renうん、いいよ。Un, ii yo.Sure, sounds good.
