Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| やあ | yā | [ja̠ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| よう | yō | [jo̞ː] (narrow) |
These terms are used as friendly, informal greetings. While they serve as a way to say "hi", Japanese speakers also use more specific formal greetings such as こんにちは for "hello", おはようございます for "good morning" and こんばんは for "good evening".
Which one should you use?
やあ is a friendly and casual greeting used among close friends or by an older person addressing someone younger. よう is a more masculine and very casual version of やあ, typically used between male friends. While どうも can be used to mean "hi" in certain contexts, it is more commonly used as a versatile word for "thanks" or a brief "hello" when passing someone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms やあ, どうも and よう are all informal. For a more formal "hello", you should use こんにちは. For an informal "good morning" with friends or family, you can use おはよう.
How do you pronounce it?
yā
When do people say it?
In the evenings, it is customary to use the greeting こんばんは.
Did you know?
- The greeting どうも literally means 'no matter how' or 'in all cases'. Over time it evolved into a versatile tool for saying 'hi' or 'thanks' by acting as a general intensifier.
- The word どうも is so flexible that it can function as a greeting, a thank you, or even a way to apologize, depending entirely on the tone and context.
- Using the masculine-coded よう to greet a woman or a superior could be seen as socially jarring or even rude due to its extremely casual, blunt nature.
Examples in context
- やあ！元気？Hi! How are you?The first example shows how to use やあ to ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #193152 by bunbuku, translation #30316 by Zifre
- やあ、みんな！Hi, everybody!The second example shows how to use やあ when addressing a group.Tatoeba #10625672 by small_snow, translation #466652 by Alkrasnov
- やあ、調子はどう。Hi! What's new?The third example shows how to use やあ to ask what is new.Tatoeba #193143 by small_snow, translation #30308 by CM
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- 陽葵 Himariやあ、大翔！Yaa, Hiroto!Hi, Hiroto!
- 大翔 Hirotoあ、陽葵！久しぶり。A, Himari! Hisashiburi.Oh, Himari! Long time no see.
- 陽葵 Himariどこに行くの？Doko ni iku no?Where are you going?
- 大翔 Hiroto駅まで歩いているところだよ。Eki made aruite iru tokoro dayo.I'm just walking to the station.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries やあ, どうも, よう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries どうも, よう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
