Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu | [o̞ha̠jo̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥] (narrow) | polite |
| おはよう | ohayō | [o̞ha̠jo̞ː] (narrow) | informal |
| おはようさん | ohayō san | Kansai |
This phrase is used specifically for the first encounter of the day, rather than a time-of-day greeting like 'hello'.
Which one should you use?
The full form おはようございます is the polite version. The shortened form おはよう is used with friends, family or people younger than you. おはよ is an even more casual expression, and おっはー is an energetic and informal variation of おはよう.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おはようございます is a formal way to say Good Morning and should be used when speaking to superiors, teachers or strangers. The form お早うございます is a more traditional and slightly formal way to say Good Morning. In contrast, おはよう is an informal way to say Good Morning. おはよ and おっはー are even more casual and informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form おはようさん is a regional variation used in the Kansai dialect.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- In many Japanese workplaces, you can say おはようございます to colleagues even if it is actually the afternoon or evening. It functions as a greeting for the first time you see someone during your shift, regardless of the actual clock time.
- The phrase おはよう is fundamentally an adverbial expression. While English uses an adjective ('good') to modify a noun ('morning'), the Japanese phrase literally translates to a variation of 'being early'.
- In traditional Japanese etiquette, the depth of the bow accompanying おはようございます changes depending on the social rank of the person you are greeting.
Examples in context
- おはよう諸君。Good morning, everybody.This sentence shows how to address a group using the informal form おはよう.Tatoeba #10908791 by small_snow, translation #22122 by CK
- 皆さんおはよう。Good morning, everyone.This sentence is useful for seeing how to address everyone with the informal form おはよう.Tatoeba #184991 by bunbuku, translation #22127 by CK
- トム、おはよう。Good morning, Tom.This sentence demonstrates how to use the informal form おはよう when addressing a specific person.Tatoeba #10033367 by small_snow, translation #2549163 by CK
- おはようございます、田中さん。Good morning, Mr./Ms. Tanaka.
- お早うございます。本日もよろしくお願いします。Good morning. Please take good care of me today as well.
- おはよう、みんな！今日はいい天気だね。Good morning, everyone! It's great weather today, isn't it?
- おはよ、兄ちゃん。今日も頑張ろう！Good morning, bro. Let's do our best today!
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui meet at the office entrance in the morning.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さん、おはようございます。Yui-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui健太さん、おはようございます。Kenta-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta今日は少し寒いですね。Kyou wa sukoshi samui desu ne.It is a little cold today, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiそうですね。風が強いです。Sou desu ne. Kaze ga tsuyoi desu.That's true. The wind is strong.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries おはようございます, おはよう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
