10 Essential Japanese Greetings Every Beginner Should Master
Introduction – why a single greeting can open ten doors
First impressions matter everywhere, but in Japan a well‑placed greeting (挨拶 aisatsu) can decide whether a conversation ever begins. Japan’s finely tuned etiquette system gives learners a huge advantage: once you memorize the “core set” of salutations you can instantly sound more considerate, more approachable, and more Japanese than someone who races ahead to grammar drills. The ten greetings below cover morning to midnight, workplace to home, phone to Zoom. Master them, and you will be able to navigate cafés, classrooms and corporate lobbies with confidence.
Before we dive in, consider pairing this reading with real‑time practice in a structured environment. Our Japanese courses at NLS Norwegian Language School integrate live greeting drills starting on day one—sign up here: https://nlsnorwegian.no/no/laer-japansk/.
A quick note on pronunciation
Japanese is written here in three scripts:
| Script | Example | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kanji | 先生 | Semantic roots |
| Hiragana | こんにちは | Native words/grammar |
| Katakana | コーヒー | Loanwords/on‑the‑fly emphasis |
Alongside each greeting you will see romaji (Latin letters) for immediate reading, but try to wean yourself off romaji early. Pay special attention to vowel length: ō and ō are not decorative—they change meaning (obasan “aunt” vs. obaasan “grandmother”). Pitch accent also distinguishes hashi “bridge,” hashi “chopsticks” and hashi “edge.” Record yourself repeating every sample dialogue until native speakers confirm you are no longer “flat.”
1. おはようございます – ohayō gozaimasu (“Good morning”)
Literal meaning: “It is early.”
When to use: From waking until roughly 10 a.m. In some workplaces (e.g., TV studios) staff say it any time they begin their shift, even at midnight, because for them it is the start of the “workday.”
Set phrases:
| Situation | Speaker A | Speaker B |
|---|---|---|
| Coworker enters office at 8:00 | おはようございます。 | おはようございます。 |
Politeness scale:
おはよう (plain) → おはようございます (polite) → おはようございます、〇〇さん (polite + honorific name).
Pronunciation tip: Make the long ō obvious: “o‑ha‑yoo.” Rushing the vowel can make it sound like hayou, confusing Kansai dialect slang.
2. こんにちは – konnichiwa (“Good afternoon/Hello”)
Originally a fragment of the fuller sentence 今日はご機嫌いかがですか (“How are you today?”), こんにちは is your all‑purpose daytime greeting from late morning until sundown. Unlike English “Hi,” it is not used on the phone or when meeting someone at dawn or midnight. Resist the beginner habit of adding -wa at the end in English pronunciation; the final wa is the ha kana pronounced wa.
Sample exchange:
A: こんにちは、ブラウンさん。
B: こんにちは。今日はいい天気ですね。
3. こんばんは – konbanwa (“Good evening”)
Use this from sunset onward. Like こんにちは, it was historically part of a longer sentence. Because lighting can blur “evening,” follow native cues—if shopkeepers have switched on lanterns or interior lights, こんばんは is safe.
Quick cultural note: Entering a small restaurant at 6 p.m. with a hearty こんばんは often earns warmer service because you acknowledge the establishment’s intimate atmosphere.
4. はじめまして – hajimemashite (“Nice to meet you”)
Literally “It is the first time,” this greeting appears only once per relationship—at the initial face‑to‑face encounter. Pair it with a bow and your self‑intro. Saying it again the next day sounds as if you have forgotten meeting the person.
Example:
はじめまして。NLSノルウェー語学院のフリーダと申します。よろしくお願いいたします。
Grammar glance:
はじめる “to begin” → はじめまして (adverbial –te form + polite ending)
5. よろしくお願いします – yoroshiku onegai‑shimasu
Impossible to translate neatly, this tag‑line means “Please treat me favorably” and follows はじめまして or any request. The shorter よろしく is casual; adding どうぞ softens it further.
| Level | Phrase | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | よろしく。 | To a friend helping you move |
| Polite | よろしくお願いします。 | Meeting new colleague |
| Honorific | どうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。 | Formal correspondence |
Pronounce the gai lightly (almost “ngai”).
Practice: Record a 15‑second clip: はじめまして。東京から参りました山田です。どうぞよろしくお願いします。
6. いってきます / いってらっしゃい – “I’m off” / “Come back safe”
Context: Household departures. The leaving party says いってきます; stay‑behind replies いってらっしゃい. Even solo dwellers murmur it to empty apartments because the ritual frames the day.
Dialog:
Child: いってきまーす！
Parent: いってらっしゃい。気をつけてね。
Bonus grammar: Both derive from 行く “to go.” らっしゃい is honorific of いらっしゃる (“to be/go/come”), reflecting care for the traveler.
7. ただいま / おかえりなさい – “I’m back” / “Welcome home”
Mirror image of #6. Using them cements belonging. Teachers sometimes greet returning students from a field trip with おかえり.
Common pair:
Traveler: ただいま。
Host: おかえりなさい！お疲れさま。
8. もしもし – moshi moshi (telephone “Hello”)
Never use こんにちは when answering calls. Moshi moshi stems from 申す (“to say”) doubled for audibility on early crackly lines. In business, replace it with your company name:
Receiver: はい、NLSノルウェー語学院でございます。
9. ありがとうございます / ありがとう – “Thank you”
Polite vs. casual. Add ございます for upgrades, and shift to past tense ありがとうございました when the favor is complete.
Super‑formal: 誠にありがとうございます (advertisements, speeches).
10. すみません – “Excuse me / I’m sorry / Thank you”
Swiss‑army knife greeting. Use it to:
-
Apologize for bumping into someone.
-
Get a waiter’s attention.
-
Pre‑thank someone who helps you.
Contrast with ごめんなさい (pure apology, closer relationships).
Combining greetings in real situations
Scenario 1: Morning commute
-
Leave apartment: いってきます!
-
Pass neighbor: おはようございます。
-
Answer phone on train: もしもし、少し後でかけ直してもいいですか。
-
Return late evening: ただいま。 / Housemate: おかえり。
Scenario 2: First day at language school
-
Enter classroom 13:30: こんにちは。
-
Meet teacher: はじめまして。NLSのケンです。よろしくお願いします。
-
Email follow‑up ends with: どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
A 7‑day greeting practice plan
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Record #1–#3 ten times each. |
| 2 | Shadow dialogues #4–#5. |
| 3 | Use #6–#7 narrating your day aloud. |
| 4 | Phone a friend; open with もしもし. |
| 5 | Write five thank‑you sentences mixing ありがとう and ありがとうございます. |
| 6 | Watch a Japanese vlog; note every すみません. |
| 7 | Pair each greeting with a mini‑bow and film yourself. |
For guided pronunciation feedback, enroll in our live beginner program—registration here: https://nlsnorwegian.no/no/laer-japansk/.
Conclusion: greetings as relationship glue
Mastering greetings is less about vocabulary and more about mindset: humility, attentiveness, reciprocity. By investing a week into these ten phrases you create a habit of acknowledgment that resonates with Japanese values of wa (harmony). Next, expand to farewells and seasonal expressions, but keep reviewing core greetings daily—they are the handshake, smile and eye contact rolled into one.
Ready to greet the world in natural Japanese? Seats for the next NLS cohort are filling quickly. Claim yours now at https://nlsnorwegian.no/no/laer-japansk/.
