みんな、こんにちは！
minna, konnichiwa!
The English phrase "hi, guys!" is translated into Japanese as みんな、こんにちは！ (minna, konnichiwa!)
This phrase is used as an informal greeting to address a group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The word みんな literally means "everyone" or "all".
Which one should you use?
The term みんな is casual, whereas the version using 皆さん is the polite form used to address a group in more formal or respectful settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase みんな、こんにちは！ is informal and suitable for friends or a casual group, but it is too casual for a business setting or for addressing superiors. For a more formal way to say "Hello, everyone," you can use 皆さん、こんにちは。
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses a comma after みんな to separate the address from the greeting, though in casual speech the pause is often very brief.
How do you pronounce it?
minna, konnichiwa!
When do people say it?
In Japanese culture, it is customary to accompany greetings with a bow.
Did you know?
- In many Japanese social circles, particularly among youth, the greeting 'hi, guys!' might be replaced by the much more slangy お疲れ様! (otsukaresama), even if no one is actually tired.
- The は at the end of こんにちは is actually a topic marker particle, meaning the phrase is an unfinished sentence that originally meant 'As for today…'.
- The word みんな can be written with different kanji, but using the hiragana version is much more common in casual, friendly communication to appear 'softer'.
Examples in context
- みんな、こんにちは！元気？Minna, konnichiwa! Genki?Hi, guys! How are you?
- みんな、こんにちは！今日は暑いね。Minna, konnichiwa! Kyou wa atsui ne.Hi, guys! It's hot today, isn't it?
Example conversation
Kenta walks into a room where Misaki and her friends are hanging out.
- 健太 Kentaみんな、こんにちは！Minna, konnichiwa!Hi, guys!
- 美咲 Misakiあ、健太くん、こんにちは！A, Kenta-kun, konnichiwa!Oh, hi Kenta!
- 健太 Kentaみんな、楽しそうにしているね。Minna, tanoshisou ni shite iru ne.You guys look like you're having fun.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、すごく楽しいよ！Un, sugoku tanoshii yo!Yeah, it's a lot of fun!
