👋

Hello in Japanese: 10+ Ways to Greet People

Japanese has way more ways to say hello than just "konnichiwa." Depending on the time of day, who you're talking to, and how casual the vibe is, you'll reach for a completely different greeting. Get them right and you'll sound natural immediately. Get them wrong and you might accidentally be too formal with your friends or too casual with your boss. Let's walk through all of them.

The Core Greetings

These are the greetings you need to know first. They cover morning, afternoon, evening, and phone calls.

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
おはよう	おはよう	ohayou	Good morning (casual)
おはようございます	おはようございます	ohayou gozaimasu	Good morning (formal)
こんにちは	こんにちは	konnichiwa	Hello / Good afternoon
こんばんは	こんばんは	konbanwa	Good evening
もしもし	もしもし	moshi moshi	Hello (on the phone)

おはようおはよう

ohayouGood morning (casual)

おはようございますおはようございます

ohayou gozaimasuGood morning (formal)

こんにちはこんにちは

konnichiwaHello / Good afternoon

こんばんはこんばんは

konbanwaGood evening

もしもしもしもし

moshi moshiHello (on the phone)

Konnichiwa: The Most Famous One

こんにちは (konnichiwa) is the greeting most learners pick up first, and it works great for daytime encounters. Technically it covers roughly 11am to 5pm, after which you'd switch to こんばんは (konbanwa). A few things to know: the は here is the topic particle, historically part of a longer phrase. It's pronounced 'wa,' not 'ha.' And while it's universally understood, native speakers sometimes find it a bit stiff among friends. In casual settings, just saying 「よ」 (yo) or nodding is common enough.

Casual and Slang Greetings

Once you're past textbook Japanese, you'll hear these constantly among friends, in anime, and in everyday conversation.

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
やあ	やあ	yaa	Hey / Hi (casual)
やほ	やほ	yaho	Yoohoo / Hey (very casual, often used by women)
おっす	おっす	ossu	Yo / Hey (casual, often used by men)
どうも	どうも	doumo	Hey / Thanks (multi-purpose casual greeting)
よ	よ	yo	Yo (very casual, like a nod in word form)
ういっす	ういっす	uissu	Heya (casual, often among young men)

やあやあ

yaaHey / Hi (casual)

やほやほ

yahoYoohoo / Hey (very casual, often used by women)

おっすおっす

ossuYo / Hey (casual, often used by men)

どうもどうも

doumoHey / Thanks (multi-purpose casual greeting)

よよ

yoYo (very casual, like a nod in word form)

ういっすういっす

uissuHeya (casual, often among young men)

Doumo: The Swiss Army Knife

どうも (doumo) deserves its own spotlight. It started as an intensifier meaning 'very' or 'indeed,' but it evolved into a standalone greeting and thanks. You can drop it when you bump into an acquaintance, use it as a casual 'thanks,' and even say it when answering a call. It's the kind of word that sounds a little vague but native speakers use it constantly precisely because it's so flexible. If you're ever unsure whether to greet or thank someone, どうも covers both.

Greetings for Specific Situations

Japanese has greetings that are tied to specific contexts. These don't translate directly to 'hello,' but they function as acknowledgments in their setting.

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
いらっしゃいませ	いらっしゃいませ	irasshaimase	Welcome (said to customers entering a shop)
ただいま	ただいま	tadaima	I'm home
おかえり	おかえり	okaeri	Welcome back (response to tadaima)
お久しぶりです	おひさしぶりです	o-hisashiburi desu	Long time no see (formal)
久しぶり	ひさしぶり	hisashiburi	Long time no see (casual)

いらっしゃいませいらっしゃいませ

irasshaimaseWelcome (said to customers entering a shop)

ただいまただいま

tadaimaI'm home

おかえりおかえり

okaeriWelcome back (response to tadaima)

お久しぶりですおひさしぶりです

o-hisashiburi desuLong time no see (formal)

久しぶりひさしぶり

hisashiburiLong time no see (casual)

Formality: How to Read the Room

Japanese greetings are tied to social context in a way English ones aren't. The key factors are: who you're talking to (boss vs. friend), the setting (office vs. izakaya), and your relationship history. With strangers and superiors, default to the polite forms: おはようございます, こんにちは, こんばんは. With friends, coworkers you're close to, or in casual environments, the shorter casual versions feel more natural. Using formal greetings with close friends can actually feel distant, like you're being sarcastic or standoffish. And using casual greetings with a client or manager is a real social slip.

Common Questions About Japanese Greetings

Is konnichiwa rude?

Not at all. こんにちは is perfectly polite and works in most situations during daytime hours. It's just that between close friends, Japanese people tend to use more casual expressions or even skip a formal greeting altogether.

What does moshi moshi mean and why is it used on the phone?

もしもし comes from 申す (mousu), a humble form of 'to say.' The origin story is that ghosts supposedly couldn't repeat it twice, so it was used to verify the caller was human. Today it's just the standard phone greeting, and using it outside a phone call sounds a bit odd.

Can I use ossu as a greeting?

おっす is common among young men and in martial arts contexts. It comes from a condensed version of おはようございます. It's casual and gendered, so use it with friends of a similar age and vibe rather than in professional settings.

What's the difference between ohayou and ohayou gozaimasu?

Same base word, different formality. おはよう is what you'd say to a friend or family member. おはようございます is the polite version for coworkers, teachers, customers, and anyone you'd use keigo (polite speech) with.