やあ
yā[ja̠ː]
やあ (yā) is the Japanese way to say hi. Wiktionary also lists どうも (dōmo) and よう (yō).
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | [ja̠ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| よう | yō | [jo̞ː] (narrow) |
やあ is a friendly, informal greeting used when approaching someone you already know in a lighthearted manner.
Which one should you use?
While やあ is a friendly greeting, よう is even more casual and is typically used between close male friends. Unlike the direct 'hi' of やあ, どうも is a versatile multipurpose word that can mean 'hi', 'thanks' or 'hello' depending on the context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
よう is an informal form. やあ is also used as a friendly, informal greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- The word どうも can function as an intensifier, much like the English word 'very', depending on the words that follow it.
- The casual greeting よう is a phonetic evolution of the Classical Japanese suffix む, which was used to express intention or volition.
- While やあ is informal, using it to a superior in a Japanese workplace could be seen as an assertion of dominance rather than just friendliness.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?This sentence is useful for greeting someone and asking how they are with やあ.Tatoeba #193152 by bunbuku, translation #30316 by Zifre
- やあ、みんな！Hi, everybody!This sentence is useful for greeting a group of people with やあ.Tatoeba #10625672 by small_snow, translation #466652 by Alkrasnov
- やあ、調子はどう。Hi! What's new?This sentence is useful for asking what is new with やあ.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota bump into each other at the park.
- 結衣 Yuiやあ、陽太！久しぶり。Ya, Yota! Hisashiburi.Hi, Yota! Long time no see.
- 陽太 Yotaやあ、結衣。元気にしてた？Ya, Yui. Genki ni shiteta?Hi, Yui. Have you been doing well?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、元気だよ。どこに行くの？Un, genki dayo. Doko ni iku no?Yeah, I'm good. Where are you going?
- 陽太 Yotaちょっとコンビニまで行くところ。Chotto konbini made iku tokoro.I'm just heading to the convenience store.
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.
