こんにちは
konnichiwa
The Japanese way to say 'salut' is こんにちは (konnichiwa).
こんにちは is a common formal greeting that translates to 'hello' or 'good afternoon.'
Which one should you use?
While こんにちは is a standard greeting, other options exist depending on the social context: ハロー is an informal greeting similar to the English 'hello' used among younger generations, ヤッホー is a relaxed informal greeting used among close friends and チャオ is an informal way to say 'hi' or 'bye' adopted in Japan, particularly among trendy circles.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa
Did you know?
- The final character in こんにちは is technically the particle は, which is normally pronounced ha but changes to wa when used in this greeting.
- Historically, こんにちは was part of a much longer sentence, such as 'Today is a good day', which eventually shortened over centuries.
- In Japanese culture, a greeting like こんにちは is almost always accompanied by a bow, the depth of which indicates the level of respect for the other person.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、元気ですか？Konnichiwa, genki desu ka?Hello, how are you?
- こんにちは、いい天気ですね。Konnichiwa, ii tenki desu ne.Hello, it is nice weather, isn't it?
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota meet on the street during the day.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太くん、こんにちは！Yota-kun, konnichiwa!Hello, Yota!
- 陽太 Yotaあ、美咲さん、こんにちは。A, Misaki-san, konnichiwa.Oh, hello, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiいい天気だね。Ii tenki da ne.The weather is nice, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当だね。Hontou da ne.It really is.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry こんにちは, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
