こんにちは
The English phrase "hi (formal)" is translated into Japanese as こんにちは.
こんにちは is a general-purpose greeting used to say "hello" or "good day." It is primarily used as a daytime greeting, typically from late morning until sunset.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English "hello," which can be used at any time of day, こんにちは is not used in the early morning or late at night. For a morning greeting specifically used until around 10:00 a.m., you should use おはようございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is often written with the hiragana は (ha), but it is pronounced as "wa" because it functions as a topic marker in its historical grammatical form.
When do people say it?
When using formal greetings, it is important to accompany them with bowing as a sign of respect.
Did you know?
- In a professional Japanese office, employees rarely greet each other with こんにちは. Instead, they use お疲れ様です, which acknowledges the other person's hard work.
- When stepping into someone's home, people add お邪魔します, which literally means 'I am going to disturb you'.
- While it is used for strangers, saying こんにちは to a very close friend or family member can actually sound cold or distant because it is too formal.
Examples in context
- こんにちは。Konnichiwa.Hello.
- こんにちは、先生。Konnichiwa, sensei.Hello, teacher.
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Konnichiwa, o genki desu ka?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto meet in the street during the afternoon.
- 美咲 Misakiこんにちは、大翔さん。Konnichiwa, Hiroto-san.Hello, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hirotoこんにちは、美咲さん。Konnichiwa, Misaki-san.Hello, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiいい天気ですね。Ii tenki desu ne.The weather is nice, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうですね。Sou desu ne.It certainly is.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
