今日は
konnichi wa[kõ̞ɲ̟ːit͡ɕiβ̞a̠]
In Japanese, hello can be expressed 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 term is used as a greeting from the late morning until the evening. When it is specifically dark or evening, you may use 今晩は to say good evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 今晩は literally means as for this evening.
Which one should you use?
今日は is the standard greeting for the period from late morning through the day, while 今晩は is used specifically in the evening.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichi wa
Did you know?
- Unlike English 'hello', 今日は is rarely used to answer the telephone. Instead, Japanese people typically use もしもし when picking up the phone.
- In many Japanese schools and formal settings, a greeting is often considered incomplete without a corresponding bow of the head or body.
- The greeting 今日は is actually a fragment of a full sentence that would end with a question like 'How are you?'
Examples in context
- 今日は。Hello!This sentence shows how to use 今日は as a greeting.Tatoeba #778577 by marloncori, translation #373330 by CK
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta meet at the park.
- 結衣 Yui今日は、健太さん。Konnichiwa, Kenta-san.Hello, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaあ、結衣さん。今日は！A, Yui-san. Konnichiwa!Oh, Yui. Hello!
- 結衣 Yuiどこへ行くところですか。Doko e iku tokoro desu ka.Where are you headed?
- 健太 Kenta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.
