おはようございます
ohayō gozaimasu[o̞ha̠jo̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥]
ohayou gozaimasu is the Japanese way to say Good morning.
This phrase is used specifically during the morning, typically from sunrise until around 10:00 or 11:00 AM.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ohayou, an adjective-like form meaning early and gozaimasu, which is a polite form of the verb to be.
Which one should you use?
The shorter form ohayou is used with friends, family or people of lower social status, whereas ohayou gozaimasu is the polite version.
How do you pronounce it?
ohayō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- In certain professional settings like theaters, television studios, or restaurants, staff say ohayou gozaimasu to colleagues regardless of the time of day. In these industries, it functions as a greeting for the first time they see a coworker during their shift.
- The 'o' in ohayou is an honorific prefix that can be added to many nouns and adjectives to signal respect toward the person being addressed.
- When responding to ohayou gozaimasu, it is common to repeat the exact phrase back to the speaker. Unlike English, where one might simply say 'morning' or 'hello', mirroring the politeness level is the standard social expectation.
Examples in context
- おはようございます。ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning.
- 先生、おはようございます。sensei, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, teacher.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta meet in the office hallway in the morning.
- 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結衣さん、おはようございます。Yui-san, ohayou gozaimasu.Good morning, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui今日はとても寒いですね。kyou wa totemo samui desu ne.It is very cold today, isn't it?
- 健太 Kentaそうですね。風邪を引かないようにしてください。sou desu ne. kaze wo hikanai you ni shite kudasai.It is. Please be careful not to catch a cold.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おはようございます, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
