やあ
yā[ja̠ː]
In Japanese, hi is expressed as やあ (yā). 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 common and casual way to say "hi" among friends, often used when approaching someone you already know in a friendly, lighthearted manner. While やあ is a pure greeting, どうも can also function as a versatile, shorthand way to say "hi" or "thanks" in casual social interactions.
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 やあ, which is a pure greeting, どうも can also serve as a shorthand for "thanks" in casual social interactions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
よう is an informal term. どうも is also used in informal social interactions.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
When do people say it?
When answering the phone in Japan, the most common and universally recognized greeting is もしもし.
Did you know?
- The casual greeting よう actually traces its roots back to ancient grammatical suffixes used to express intention or volition.
- The word どうも is so versatile that it can express a greeting, gratitude, or even a polite apology depending on the tone and context.
- Unlike the English 'hi', which is generally safe in most casual settings, using よう with a superior or a teacher would be considered very rude.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?This example shows the use of やあ to ask how someone is.Tatoeba #193152 by bunbuku, translation #30316 by Zifre
- やあ、みんな！Hi, everybody!This example shows how to use やあ to greet 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 やあ used to ask what is new.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren bump into each other at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiやあ、蓮！久しぶりだね。Yaa, Ren! Hisashiburi dane.Hi, Ren! Long time no see.
- 蓮 Ren結衣か！びっくりしたよ。Yui ka! Bikkuri shita yo.Yui! You surprised me.
- 結衣 Yui今、時間ある？Ima, jikan aru?Do you have time now?
- 蓮 Renうん、大丈夫だよ。Un, daijoubu dayo.Yeah, I'm free.
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.
