Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | [ja̠ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| よう | yō | [jo̞ː] (narrow) |
The expressions provided are friendly, informal greetings. While these are used for a casual 'hi', more specific formal greetings exist based on the time of day: こんにちは (Konnichiwa) is a common way to say hi during the day until late afternoon, おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu) is used specifically in the morning until late morning and こんばんは (Konbanwa) is a greeting used in the evening. Additionally, どうも (dōmo) can function as a very brief, casual 'hi' or 'thanks' depending on the context and tone.
Which one should you use?
While やあ (yā) is a friendly greeting, よう (yō) is a more casual, masculine-coded version often used between close male friends. The word よ (Yo) is also used casually, similar to hey or hi in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The greeting よう (yō) is informal. For a slangy way of saying hello, roughly equivalent to 'hey' in English, you can use おっす (Ossu). In the morning, you can use the casual form おはよう (Ohayou) among friends and family instead of the more formal おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu).
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- The casual greeting おっす (Ossu) is derived from 押忍, a term used in martial arts to signal endurance and patience.
- In Japanese culture, a greeting like やあ (yā) is often accompanied by a small nod of the head rather than a wave, which can be seen as too energetic in some contexts.
- The masculine greeting よう (yō) has its roots in ancient Japanese grammar, evolving from a verb suffix used to express intention or will.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?This example shows how to use やあ to ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #193152 by bunbuku, translation #30316 by Zifre
- やあ、みんな！Hi, everybody!This example demonstrates using 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 how to use やあ to ask what is new.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- Ohayou gozaimasu, Tanaka-san (おはようございます、田中さん)Good morning, Mr./Ms. Tanaka.
- Konbanwa, Sensei (こんばんは、先生)Good evening, teacher.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta meet at the university library.
- 結衣 Yuiやあ、健太！Yaa, Kenta!Hi, Kenta!
- 健太 Kentaあ、結衣。久しぶりだね。A, Yui. Hisashiburi dane.Oh, Yui. Long time no see.
- 結衣 Yui何の本を読んでるの？Nan no hon o yonderu no?What book are you reading?
- 健太 Kenta歴史の教科書だよ。Rekishi no kyoukasho dayo.It's a history textbook.
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.
