Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | [ja̠ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| よう | yō | [jo̞ː] (narrow) |
The term やあ is a casual greeting similar to the English interjection "hey." Another option is どうも, which is versatile and can be used to convey the meanings "thanks," "hello," or "sorry."
Which one should you use?
While やあ is a friendly greeting, よう is a more casual, masculine-leaning version of "hi" often used between close male friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
やあ is a friendly greeting that is generally used with equals or subordinates. It is not appropriate for use with superiors or in formal business settings. よう is also informal. In contrast, more formal options for different times of day include こんにちは for "hello" during the day, おはようございます for "good morning," and こんばんは for "good evening" as the sun sets. For extremely informal situations, the slang おっす can be used to say "sup" to a friend or someone of equal status.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- The slang greeting おっす is derived from 押忍, a term used in martial arts to signal patience and perseverance.
- The casual greeting よう actually traces its roots back to an ancient grammatical suffix used to express intention or a command, rather than a standalone word for 'hello'.
- In Japanese culture, greetings are often accompanied by a bow, and the depth of the bow changes based on whether you use a casual word like やあ or a formal one like こんにちは.
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 of people.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
Yui and Yota meet at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiやあ、陽太！久しぶり。Yaa, Yota! Hisashiburi.Hi, Yota! Long time no see.
- 陽太 Yotaやあ、結衣。元気にしてた？Yaa, Yui. Genki ni shiteta?Hi, Yui. Have you been doing well?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、すごく元気だよ。Un, sugoku genki dayo.Yeah, I'm doing great.
- 陽太 Yotaそれはよかった。Sore wa yokatta.That's good to hear.
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.
