おはよう
ohayōcasual, morning
In the morning, the Japanese way to say "hi" is おはよう (ohayō). With people you do not know well, say おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu).
Meaning: a morning greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| おはよう | ohayō | casual, morning |
| おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu | polite, morning |
Use it from early morning until about late morning, before こんにちは (konnichiwa) takes over. Friends and family say おはよう, while coworkers and strangers hear おはようございます.
What does it mean word for word?
The word comes from はやい (hayai), meaning early, so it literally means it is early.
Did you know?
- The polite ending ございます (gozaimasu) is added to おはよう to make it respectful.
Examples in context
- おはよう、げんき。Ohayō, genki.Morning, how are you?
- おはようございます。Ohayō gozaimasu.Good morning.
- みなさん、おはようございます。Minasan, ohayō gozaimasu.Good morning, everyone.
Example conversation
Kenji meets his coworker Mari in the elevator at the start of the workday.
- Kenjiおはようございます、マリさん。Ohayō gozaimasu, Mari-san.Good morning, Mari.
- Mariおはようございます。きょうもはやいですね。Ohayō gozaimasu. Kyō mo hayai desu ne.Good morning. You are early again today.
- Kenjiええ、かいぎがあるので。Ē, kaigi ga aru node.Yes, because there is a meeting.
