Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | [ja̠ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| よう | yō | [jo̞ː] (narrow) |
These terms are used as friendly, informal greetings. やあ is most commonly used when a speaker is initiating a conversation with someone they already know well. どうも is a versatile, multipurpose word that can function as a casual "hi" or a quick "thanks" depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
やあ is a friendly, casual greeting often used between close friends or by someone addressing a group. よう is a very casual, masculine-leaning greeting similar to the English "yo" or "hey". どうも differs from the others by its versatility, serving as both a casual "hi" and a way to say "thanks".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
よう is informal. やあ is a friendly, casual option. よう is considered slang. In more formal situations, you should use time-specific greetings such as the polite morning greeting おはようございます or the polite evening greeting こんばんは. For an informal morning greeting among friends and family, you can use おはよう. If you want a more colloquial, shortened version of the standard greeting こんにちは, you might use こんちゃ.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- While it is used as a friendly 'hi', the word どうも literally translates to 'no matter how' or 'in all cases'.
- Using よう can be seen as overly masculine, and it is rare to hear women use it in a traditional social setting.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?This example shows how to use やあ in a question about someone's well-being.Tatoeba #193152 by bunbuku, translation #30316 by Zifre
- やあ、みんな！Hi, everybody!This example shows how to use やあ when addressing a group.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
- おはようございます、田中さんGood morning, Mr./Ms. Tanaka.
- こんばんは、みんな！Good evening, everyone!
- おはよう、太郎Good morning, Taro.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a park in the afternoon.
- 大翔 Hirotoやあ、結衣。Ya, Yui.Hi, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、大翔！久しぶり。A, Hiroto! Hisashiburi.Oh, Hiroto! Long time no see.
- 大翔 Hiroto元気だった？Genki datta?Have you been well?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、元気だよ。Un, genki dayo.Yeah, I'm doing well.
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.
