今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
The English phrase "hello" is translated into Japanese as 今日は (konnichi wa). Wiktionary also lists 今晩は (konban wa).
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は | konnichi wa | [kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠] (narrow) |
| 今晩は | konban wa | [kõ̞mbã̠ɰ̃β̞a̠] (narrow) |
The phrase 今日は functions as a greeting. While こんにちは is used throughout the day to mean "Hello" or "Good day", you should use 今晩は specifically for greetings in the evening or at night to mean "Good evening".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 今晩は literally means "as for tonight" or "tonight is".
Which one should you use?
Use 今晩は specifically for greetings in the evening or at night.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
When do people say it?
When entering someone's house or office, you use おじゃまします, which translates to "I'm sorry for disturbing you".
Did you know?
- Using こんにちは with very close friends or family can sometimes feel unexpectedly formal or distant, as if you are treating them like a stranger.
- In Japan, the gesture of bowing often accompanies greetings like こんにちは. The depth and duration of the bow change depending on the social status of the person being greeted.
- The greeting 今日は is actually a truncated fragment of longer sentences like 'How are you doing today?' or 'The weather is nice today, isn't it?'
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This sentence is useful for practicing the form 今日は.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
Example conversation
Ren and Yui meet at a park in the afternoon.
- 蓮 Ren今日は、結衣さん。Konnichiwa, Yui-san.Hello, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui今日は、蓮さん！Konnichiwa, Ren-san!Hello, Ren!
- 蓮 Renどこへ行くの？Doko e iku no?Where are you going?
- 結衣 Yui図書館へ行きます。Toshokan e ikimasu.I am going to the library.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 今日は, 今晩は, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 今日は, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
