やあ
yā[ja̠ː]
The English phrase "hi" can be translated into Japanese 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 used to greet someone you are already acquainted with in a friendly manner. If you are specifically saying "hello" on the phone, the most common phrase to use is もしもし.
Which one should you use?
The form よう is used as an informal greeting. The form どうも is a versatile, low-stakes greeting that can function similarly to 'hi' or 'hey' in casual settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form どうも is considered informal. For very close relationships when calling someone, you can use おい. If you are making a morning call and wish to greet someone with "good morning," you can use the formal phrase おはようございます, which is also suitable for professional calls.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- The greeting どうも is so versatile that it can function as 'hi', 'thanks', or 'goodbye' depending on the context.
- In Japanese culture, a greeting like やあ is often accompanied by a slight nod of the head rather than a wave of the hand.
- The greeting どうも is actually a shortened form of a phrase meaning 'no matter how' or 'in all cases'.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?This sentence is useful for a friendly greeting using 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 using 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 using やあ.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- もしもし
田中さんですか？Hi, are you Mr./Ms. Tanaka? - おはようございます、山田さんGood morning, Mr./Ms. Yamada
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui meet by chance at a train station.
- 健太 Kentaやあ、結衣！久しぶりだね。Yaa, Yui! Hisashiburi da ne.Hi, Yui! Long time no see.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、健太くん！びっくりしたよ。A, Kenta-kun! Bikkuri shita yo.Oh, Kenta! You surprised me.
- 健太 Kentaここで会うとは思わなかったよ。Koko de au to wa omowanakatta yo.I didn't expect to see you here.
- 結衣 Yui本当にね。どこへ行くの？Hontou ni ne. Doko e iku no?I know. Where are you going?
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.
