Japanese Greetings: 30 Ways to Say Hello, Goodbye and Thank You

Japanese greetings at a glance

Two rules underneath the whole table. First, most greetings have a short casual form and a long polite form, and you choose by relationship, not by mood. Second, Japanese speakers pair greetings with a bow, so the words are only half of it.

Hello in Japanese by time of day

Japanese does not have one all-purpose "hello". The greeting changes with the clock.

Ohayou gozaimasu: good morning

おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu) is the polite morning greeting, used until roughly 10 or 11 am. The casual form, おはよう (ohayou), is for family, close friends and children.

Pronunciation: the "u" at the end of gozaimasu is almost silent, so it comes out as "go-zai-MAHS". Keep every syllable the same length; Japanese has no stress accent, so "oh-ha-yoh" should be three even beats, not "oh-HI-yo".

One quirk worth knowing: in many workplaces, especially in entertainment, restaurants and shift work, ohayou gozaimasu is said whenever you first see a colleague that day, even at 8 pm. It functions as "hello, this is the start of my shift".

Konnichiwa: hello, good afternoon

こんにちは (konnichiwa) is the daytime greeting, from late morning until dusk. It is the word most foreigners know, and it is correct, but note two things.

It is written with は (ha) at the end but pronounced "wa", because it is historically the topic particle from the phrase "as for today...". Write こんにちは, not こんにちわ; the second is a spelling mistake that Japanese children make.

And it is a little formal for people you see every day. You would not say konnichiwa to your own family or to close colleagues you already greeted with ohayou. It is for neighbours, shopkeepers, acquaintances and anyone you are meeting for the first time in the afternoon.

Pronunciation: kon-NEE-chee-wah, four even beats, with a full "n" sound before the "ni". "Ko-ni-chi-wa" with a single n is a common learner slip.

Konbanwa: good evening

こんばんは (konbanwa) takes over from konnichiwa at sunset. Same spelling rule: は at the end, pronounced "wa". Same politeness level: fine for strangers and acquaintances, slightly formal for family.

Oyasuminasai: good night

おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai) is said when someone is going to bed or when you part late at night. It literally means "please rest". The casual form is おやすみ (oyasumi). It is not a greeting when you arrive somewhere in the evening; that is konbanwa.

Moshi moshi and other situational hellos

もしもし (moshi moshi) is the telephone hello, said by both the caller and the person answering. It is not used in person. In business calls, people often skip moshi moshi and answer with the company name plus "de gozaimasu" (お電話ありがとうございます、〇〇でございます, "thank you for calling, this is [company]").

やあ (yaa) and よお (yoo) are very casual "hey" greetings, mostly used by men among friends. おっす (ossu) is a rough, sporty "hey" you will hear in martial arts clubs and among young men. Do not use these with anyone you are not already close to.

どうも (doumo) is an all-purpose softener that works as a light "hi", "thanks" or "sorry" depending on context. "Doumo" with a small nod to a shopkeeper you see every day is natural. On its own it is casual; "doumo arigatou gozaimasu" is the very polite thank you.

Meeting someone for the first time

Two phrases frame every first meeting, and they always come as a pair with a bow between them.

はじめまして (hajimemashite): "Nice to meet you", literally "for the first time". Say it first, then your name.

よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu): there is no English equivalent. It means something like "please treat me favourably" or "I look forward to our relationship". It closes the introduction and is also used whenever you ask a favour, start a project, or join a group.

The full sequence:

はじめまして。田中です。よろしくお願いします。 Hajimemashite. Tanaka desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. "Nice to meet you. I'm Tanaka. Please treat me well."

The reply is: こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします (kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu), "the pleasure is mine, please treat me well too."

Politeness levels of yoroshiku:

• よろしく (yoroshiku): casual, to friends and people younger than you.
• よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu): standard polite.
• よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu): humble, for business emails and clients.
• どうぞよろしくお願いします (douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu): adding douzo makes it warmer and slightly more formal.

Greeting someone you have not seen for a while

お久しぶりです (ohisashiburi desu): "Long time no see." Casual: 久しぶり (hisashiburi). This is one of the few moments where お元気ですか (ogenki desu ka), "how are you?", follows naturally, because you genuinely have not seen the person.

A: お久しぶりです！お元気でしたか？ B: おかげさまで。〇〇さんもお元気そうですね。 A: Ohisashiburi desu! Ogenki deshita ka? B: Okagesama de. [Name]-san mo ogenki sou desu ne. "Long time no see! Have you been well?" "Thanks to you, yes. You look well too."

ご無沙汰しております (gobusata shite orimasu) is the formal written and business version: "I apologise for not being in touch." Use it in emails to someone you have neglected.

Office greetings: the phrases that replace how are you

Japanese offices run on a small set of greetings that mark arrivals, departures and effort. Learn these and you will fit in on day one.

お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu): literally "you are tired", meaning "thank you for your hard work". It is said when passing colleagues in the corridor, when someone finishes a task, when you answer an internal call, and when the working day ends. It does the job that "hi, how's it going?" does in an English office. The past form, お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita), is said to someone who has just finished, for example when they leave for the day.

ご苦労様です (gokurousama desu) means the same but is said downward, from a boss to staff or to a delivery person. Do not say it to a superior.

お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu): "Excuse me for leaving before you." Said when you leave the office while others are still working. The people staying reply with otsukaresama deshita.

行ってきます (ittekimasu) and 行ってらっしゃい (itterasshai): "I'm off" and "go and come back". Said when someone leaves the home or office for an errand, and the reply from those staying. ただいま (tadaima) and おかえりなさい (okaerinasai): "I'm back" and "welcome back". These four are used every single day in Japanese homes and many workplaces.

お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu): "Thank you for your continued support." The opening line of nearly every business email and phone call to another company. It is a greeting in the sense that it must be said before anything else.

失礼します (shitsurei shimasu): "Excuse me" when entering a room, interrupting, or ending a phone call. 失礼しました (shitsurei shimashita) when leaving a room or after a small mistake.

Goodbye in Japanese: which one to use

The famous one is the one you should use least.

さようなら (sayounara) is a formal, slightly final goodbye. Children say it to teachers at the end of the school day, and it fits when you will not see someone for a long time. Between friends, colleagues or family it sounds cold, as if you are ending the relationship. Most Japanese adults rarely say it.

What people actually say:

For a stranger or a shopkeeper, a bow and ありがとうございました (arigatou gozaimashita), past tense thank you, is the normal way to leave; no goodbye word is needed.

Thank you, sorry and excuse me

These are greetings in the sense that Japanese conversation is padded with them constantly.

ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): polite thank you. ありがとう (arigatou): casual. ありがとうございました (arigatou gozaimashita): past tense, for something already completed, said when leaving a shop or ending a lesson. どうもありがとうございます (doumo arigatou gozaimasu): very polite.

すみません (sumimasen): the most useful word in the language. It means "excuse me" (to get attention), "sorry" (for a small thing), and "thank you" (for trouble someone took on your behalf, as when someone picks up something you dropped). You will say it twenty times a day.

ごめんなさい (gomen nasai): "I'm sorry", more personal than sumimasen, used for genuine apologies to people you know. Casual: ごめん (gomen) or ごめんね (gomen ne).

申し訳ございません (moushiwake gozaimasen): the formal, humble apology for business and serious mistakes.

いただきます (itadakimasu) before eating, "I humbly receive", and ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita) after, "it was a feast". Said at every meal, even alone, even for a convenience-store sandwich.

The bow: the half of the greeting that is not words

Almost every greeting above comes with a bow (お辞儀, ojigi), and Japanese speakers read the bow as carefully as the words.

• Eshaku (会釈), about 15 degrees. A nod of the head and slight bend, for passing colleagues, greeting neighbours, entering a shop. Goes with ohayou gozaimasu in the corridor and konnichiwa on the street.
• Keirei (敬礼), about 30 degrees. The standard respectful bow for meeting clients, greeting a superior, saying hajimemashite, and thanking someone properly.
• Saikeirei (最敬礼), about 45 degrees. Deep bow for serious apologies, deep gratitude, and very formal occasions.

Mechanics: bend from the waist with a straight back, eyes down, hands at your sides (men) or folded in front (women), and hold for a beat. Do not bow while walking, and do not combine a bow with a handshake unless the other person initiates one. If someone bows to you, bow back, roughly matching their depth. A foreigner who bows slightly at the right moments is instantly forgiven a great deal of grammar.

Casual vs polite: choosing the right form

The rule for choosing between the short and long forms is about the relationship, not the setting.

Use the casual forms (ohayou, jaa ne, arigatou, gomen) with family, close friends, classmates of the same age, and people clearly younger than you who you know.

Use the polite forms (ohayou gozaimasu, arigatou gozaimasu, shitsurei shimasu) with everyone else: strangers, shop staff, colleagues, anyone older, anyone senior, and anyone you have just met. When in doubt, polite. Nobody is offended by extra politeness; many people are offended by too little.

Watch for the switch. A Japanese friend will often signal that you can drop to casual by doing it first, or by saying "タメ口でいいよ (tameguchi de ii yo)", "casual speech is fine". Until then, stay polite.

Common mistakes with Japanese greetings

• Saying konnichiwa in the morning. Before 10 or 11 am, it is ohayou gozaimasu. Konnichiwa in the morning marks you as a beginner immediately.
• Saying sayounara to friends and colleagues. It sounds like you are leaving for good. Use jaa ne, mata ne, mata ashita or otsukaresama deshita.
• Writing こんにちわ. The last character is は, pronounced wa.
• Saying moshi moshi in person. It is only for the phone.
• Asking ogenki desu ka every day. It is for reunions and letters. For daily contact, ohayou gozaimasu and otsukaresama desu carry the "how are you" feeling.
• Stressing syllables English-style. "Ari-GA-to" and "kon-NI-chi-wa" both sound off. Keep every syllable flat and even.
• Skipping the bow. The words without the bow feel incomplete, especially for hajimemashite and apologies.
• Using gokurousama to a superior. It is downward only. Say otsukaresama desu.
• Answering irasshaimase. When shop staff shout "welcome!", you do not reply. A small nod is enough.

A full day of Japanese greetings

Here is how the greetings string together across a normal day, so you can see them in context.

7:30, leaving home: 行ってきます！ (Ittekimasu!) Family: 行ってらっしゃい。(Itterasshai.) 8:55, entering the office: おはようございます。(Ohayou gozaimasu.) Small bow. 10:00, passing a colleague in the corridor: お疲れ様です。(Otsukaresama desu.) Nod. 11:00, a client arrives: いらっしゃいませ。はじめまして、田中と申します。よろしくお願いいたします。(Irasshaimase. Hajimemashite, Tanaka to moushimasu. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.) 30-degree bow. 12:00, lunch with colleagues: いただきます。... ごちそうさまでした。(Itadakimasu... Gochisousama deshita.) 14:00, answering the phone: お電話ありがとうございます、〇〇でございます。(Odenwa arigatou gozaimasu, [company] de gozaimasu.) 18:00, leaving before others: お先に失礼します。(Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.) Colleagues: お疲れ様でした。(Otsukaresama deshita.) 18:30, at the shop: Staff: いらっしゃいませ！ You: nod. Leaving: ありがとうございました。 19:00, home: ただいま。(Tadaima.) Family: おかえりなさい。(Okaerinasai.) 23:00: おやすみなさい。(Oyasuminasai.)

Practise the greetings out loud

Every phrase on this page is short, and every one of them is something you will have to produce instantly, with the right bow, while a real person waits. That only happens with repetition out loud.

1. Say the main table aloud three times, keeping the syllables even.
2. Run the "full day" script above out loud, standing up, adding the bows.
3. Practise the first-meeting exchange (hajimemashite... yoroshiku onegaishimasu... kochira koso) until it is automatic.
4. Then do it with a partner that answers back. SPAIKING's AI speaking partner will greet you at different times of day, play the colleague, the client and the shopkeeper, and correct your ohayou gozaimasu when the stress creeps in. By the time you say it to a real Japanese speaker, it will already be in your mouth.