How To Say Hello In Japanese

There are a number of ways to say 'hello' in Japanese and I am going to outline the most important ones for you now. Beside each explanation push the play button and listen to my friend Yukari provide you an example, she is a native Japanese speaker so by listening you will pick up the right pronunciation.

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Ok, so to start with let me just say that you can't go wrong using the word 'konnichi wa' to say hello in Japanese.

You can use konnichi wa any time of the day, however please keep in mind that Konnichi wa is amore formal way of saying hello in Japanese and therefore isn't the word you would use when speaking on the telephone or with close friends.

When answering the telephone I always use the word 'Mushi Mushi' to say hello.

Another important aspect of the Japanese language that you need to know is that just like with English you use different words for different times of day to say hello. Let's have a look at this shall we...

To say good morning use the word 'Ohayo Gozaimasu'

To say good afternoon or good evening use the word 'Konban wa'

See its not that hard now is it!!

A less formal way to say hello in Japanese which you would use when speaking to someone that you know really well, and are in some kind of personal relationship with them is the word 'Domo'

The Japanese culture places a lot of importance on respect and it is important to be aware of this especially if you are meeting someone for the first time. Therefore the best manners to say hello when you are meeting someone for the first time is 'Hajimemashite Yoroshiku' which means hello and pleased to meet you.

That's all you need to know to say hello in Japanese, so the next time you meet a Japanese person why don't you have a go!