やあ
yācasual
A casual hi in hiragana is やあ (yā). For a neutral hello use こんにちは (konnichiwa). Among young men, おっす (ossu) is a very casual greeting.
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | casual |
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | neutral |
| おっす | ossu | casual, mostly male |
A text message between friends can simply open with やあ or おはよう (ohayō), depending on the time.
Which one should you use?
やあ is friendly and works for anyone you know well. おっす is short and tough sounding, used mostly among male friends and in sports clubs.
Did you know?
- おっす is a short form of おはようございます that spread in martial arts clubs and school teams.
Examples in context
- やあ、げんき。Yā, genki.Hi, how are you.
- おっす、ひさしぶり。Ossu, hisashiburi.Hey, long time no see.
Example conversation
Two old friends, Joe and Shin, run into each other at a station.
- Joeやあ、しん。Yā, Shin.Hi, Shin.
- Shinおっす、ひさしぶりだね。Ossu, hisashiburi da ne.Hey, it has been a while.
- Joeげんきだった。Genki datta.Have you been well.
