おはよう
ohayō[o̞ha̠jo̞ː]
ohayo is the Japanese phrase for "good morning".
The phrase is used specifically during the morning hours to greet someone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おはよう is an informal greeting used with friends, family or subordinates. For formal situations, use the polite form おはようございます.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō
Did you know?
- In some professional environments, such as theaters or television studios, staff say ohayo to each other regardless of the time of day, even at midnight.
- The word ohayo literally means 'early'. When you say it, you are not wishing someone a 'good' morning, but rather acknowledging that they have woken up or arrived early.
- Due to the way Japanese sounds evolved during the Muromachi period, the 'k' sound that used to exist in the middle of this phrase vanished, leaving only the long vowel we hear today.
Examples in context
- おはよう！ohayou!Good morning!
- 陽葵、おはよう。Himari, ohayou.Good morning, Himari.
Example conversation
Two students meeting at the school gate in the morning.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔、おはよう！Hiroto, ohayou!Good morning, Hiroto!
- 大翔 Hirotoおはよう、陽葵。ohayou, Himari.Good morning, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari今日はいい天気だね。kyou wa ii tenki dane.The weather is nice today.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だね。hontou dane.It really is.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おはよう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries おはよう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
