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) |
These terms are used as friendly, informal greetings. While やあ is a direct equivalent to "hi" or "hey", other options like どうも can be used for a casual "hello" in passing, though どうも is more commonly used to say "thanks".
Which one should you use?
やあ is a very casual greeting. In contrast, よう is a more masculine and even more casual version, often used by men in very informal settings. Although どうも can serve as a casual "hi", it is a versatile word more frequently used to mean "thanks" or a passing "hello".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
やあ is an informal greeting used primarily between close friends or by someone older addressing someone younger. よう is considered slang and is even more informal. どうも is also used in informal situations.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, a casual greeting like やあ or よう 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 grammatical fragment that means 'no matter how' or 'in any case'.
- Using よう with a superior or a teacher can be seen as extremely rude or confrontational, rather than just being 'casual'.
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 やあ being used to ask what is new.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota meet at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiやあ、陽太！久しぶりだね。Yaa, Yota! Hisashiburi dane.Hi, Yota! It's been a while.
- 陽太 Yotaあ、結衣！びっくりしたよ。A, Yui! Bikkuri shita yo.Oh, Yui! You surprised me.
- 結衣 Yuiここで会うなんて偶然だね。Koko de au nante guuzen dane.What a coincidence to meet here.
- 陽太 Yota本当だね。最近はどう？Honto dane. Saikin wa dou?True. How have you been lately?
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.
