- Time of day: おはようございます (morning), こんにちは (day), こんばんは (evening).
- Goodbye: さようなら sounds final. Friends say じゃあね or またね; at work, しつれいします.
- Home: いってきます when leaving, ただいま when coming back.
- Work: おつかれさまです is the all-purpose greeting among colleagues.
- Use the polite form with strangers and people older or senior to you.
Hello, by time of day
Japanese greetings change with the time of day, much like good morning and good evening in English:
- おはようございますohayō gozaimasuGood morningUntil about 10–11 am. With friends and family: おはよう.
- こんにちはkonnichiwaHello / Good afternoonFrom late morning until it gets dark.
- こんばんはkonbanwaGood eveningOnce it’s dark.
- おやすみなさいoyasumi nasaiGood nightOnly before sleeping. With friends: おやすみ.
Meeting someone
- はじめましてhajimemashiteNice to meet youOnly at the very first meeting.
- よろしくおねがいしますyoroshiku onegai shimasuPleased to meet you / I look forward to working with youCasual: よろしく.
- おひさしぶりですo-hisashiburi desuLong time no seeCasual: ひさしぶり!
- おげんきですかo-genki desu kaHow are you?Only after some time apart, not as an everyday greeting.
- げんきですgenki desuI’m well
- まあまあですmāmā desuSo-so
Notice that Japanese has no everyday “how are you?”. Colleagues and neighbours usually just greet each other, sometimes with a comment on the weather: あついですね (atsui desu ne), “It’s hot, isn’t it?”
Saying goodbye
- さようならsayōnaraGoodbyeSounds rather final. Used by teachers and students at school, or when you won’t see someone for a long time.
- じゃあねjā neSee youCasual, very common among friends.
- またねmata neSee you againCasual.
- またあしたmata ashitaSee you tomorrow
- しつれいしますshitsurei shimasuExcuse me (for leaving)The polite goodbye when leaving an office, a room or ending a phone call.
- きをつけてki o tsuketeTake careSaid to someone setting off on a journey.
At home: the daily rituals
These four phrases are said every single day in Japanese homes. They are some of the first words children learn, and you’ll hear them in every anime and drama:
| When | Who says it | Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving home | The person leaving | いってきます ittekimasu, “I’ll go and come back” |
| Leaving home | The person staying | いってらっしゃい itterasshai, “Go and come back” |
| Coming home | The person arriving | ただいま tadaima, “I’m home” |
| Coming home | The person at home | おかえりなさい okaeri nasai, “Welcome back” (casual: おかえり) |
- いってきますittekimasuI’m off! (I’ll be back)
- いってらっしゃいitterasshaiSee you later! (have a good day)
- ただいまtadaimaI’m home!
- おかえりなさいokaeri nasaiWelcome home!
And at the table: いただきます before eating and ごちそうさまでした after. More in our list of basic Japanese phrases.
At work and school
- おつかれさまですotsukaresama desuThanks for your hard workThe everyday greeting between colleagues, in the corridor, at the start of a meeting or in emails.
- おさきにしつれいしますosaki ni shitsurei shimasuExcuse me for leaving before youSaid when you leave work while others are still there.
- おつかれさまでしたotsukaresama deshitaGood work todayThe usual reply to the person who is leaving.
On the phone
- もしもしmoshimoshiHello? (on the phone)Only for calls with friends and family; in business, people say their company name.
- おでんわありがとうございますo-denwa arigatō gozaimasuThank you for callingStandard when answering a business call.
Holidays and special occasions
- よいおとしをyoi o-toshi oHave a good new yearSaid before the new year, in late December.
- あけましておめでとうございますakemashite omedetō gozaimasuHappy New YearSaid after January 1st.
- おたんじょうびおめでとうo-tanjōbi omedetōHappy birthday
- おめでとうございますomedetō gozaimasuCongratulations
Polite vs. casual at a glance
| Situation | Polite | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | おはようございます | おはよう |
| Thank you | ありがとうございます | ありがとう |
| Good night | おやすみなさい | おやすみ |
| Long time no see | おひさしぶりです | ひさしぶり |
| Goodbye | しつれいします | じゃあね / またね |
When in doubt, choose the polite form. It’s never rude, and people will switch to casual speech with you when they feel it fits.
Bowing: a quick guide
Greetings in Japan often come with a bow (おじぎ, ojigi). As a foreign visitor, nobody expects perfection, but a few basics help:
- A small nod of the head is fine for casual greetings, shop staff and neighbours.
- A deeper bow from the waist (around 30 degrees) shows respect, for example when meeting someone formally or thanking them sincerely.
- Keep your back straight, look down, and don’t bow and shake hands at exactly the same time.
You leave your home in the morning. What do you say?
It’s 8 pm and you meet a neighbour.
You pass a colleague in the office corridor.
Your friend comes home and says ただいま. You answer:
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in Japanese?
The standard greeting is こんにちは (konnichiwa). In the morning people say おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) and in the evening こんばんは (konbanwa). On the phone, もしもし (moshimoshi) is used.
Do Japanese people say sayonara?
Yes, but less often than learners expect. さようなら sounds quite final. Friends say じゃあね or またね, and at work people say しつれいします or おさきにしつれいします.
What does otsukaresama desu mean?
It literally acknowledges someone's tiredness from hard work. In practice it's an all-purpose greeting between colleagues: hello, thanks for your work, and goodbye at the end of the day.
What do you say when you come home in Japanese?
The person arriving says ただいま (tadaima, I'm home), and the person at home answers おかえりなさい or おかえり (welcome back).