Which one should you use?
While 皆さん、こんにちは is a standard way to say hello to a group, you may encounter other variations. For example, Minna, konnichiwa is a more casual version and Yo, minna! serves as a relaxed greeting used among friends or young people. If you are greeting a group specifically in the morning, you might use Ohayou, minna.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness changes depending on which word you use for "everyone". 皆さん、こんにちは is a standard polite form. For showing extra respect or addressing a highly esteemed group, you can use the more formal O-mina-sama, konnichiwa. In contrast, Minna, konnichiwa. and Yo, minna! are informal options. Minna, konnichiwa specifically uses the casual minna instead of the polite minasan.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the word こんにちは, the particle wa is written with the hiragana character ha (は) because it functions as a topic marker.
How do you pronounce it?
minasan konnichiwa
Did you know?
- While こんにちは is translated as 'hello', the word is actually a truncated version of the older phrase 'konnichi wa gokigen ikaga desu ka', which literally means 'How is your feeling today?'
- In many Japanese professional settings, instead of saying 'hi everyone', a presenter might use 皆様 (mina-sama) followed by a bow to signal the formal start of a meeting.
- Using こんにちは (konnichiwa) in the very early morning or very late at night can actually sound strange, even though it is a standard greeting.
Examples in context
- 皆さん、こんにちは！元気ですか？Minasan, konnichiwa! Genki desu ka?Hi everyone! How are you?
- クラスの皆さん、こんにちは。Kurasu no minasan, konnichiwa.Hi everyone in the class.
Example conversation
Yui enters a small gathering of friends at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui皆さん、こんにちは！Minasan, konnichiwa!Hi everyone!
- 健太 Kentaあ、結衣さん、こんにちは。A, Yui-san, konnichiwa.Ah, hi Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiお待たせしました。Omatase shimashita.Sorry to keep you waiting.
- 健太 Kenta大丈夫ですよ。Daijoubu desu yo.It's okay.
