Japanese Greetings: A Complete Guide to Every Situation

2026年4月23日

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Japanese Greetings Go Beyond Konnichiwa

Most learners know おはようございます and こんにちは. But Japanese has a rich system of situational greetings — for leaving home, arriving at work, before eating, meeting someone for the first time, and reuniting after a long absence. Each has its own phrase, and using the right one at the right moment is a mark of natural fluency.

Time-Based Greetings

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning	Time of day
おはようございます	ohayou gozaimasu	Good morning (formal)	Morning
おはよう	ohayou	Morning (casual)	Morning
こんにちは	konnichiwa	Hello / Good afternoon	Daytime
こんばんは	konbanwa	Good evening	Evening
おやすみなさい	oyasuminasai	Good night (formal)	Bedtime / parting at night

Situational Greetings

Situation	Japanese	Meaning
Leaving home	いってきます	“I’m off” (I’ll go and come back)
Responding to above	いってらっしゃい	“Have a good trip / Come back safe”
Returning home	ただいま	“I’m home”
Responding to above	おかえり / おかえりなさい	“Welcome back”
Receiving a guest	いらっしゃいませ	Welcome (formal — shops/restaurants)
Long time no see	ひさしぶりですね	“It’s been a while, hasn’t it”
First time meeting	はじめまして	“How do you do / Pleased to meet you”
After meeting	よろしくおねがいします	“Please treat me well”

Workplace-Specific Greetings

Situation	Japanese	Meaning
Arriving at office	おはようございます	Good morning (used until ~noon even in offices)
Passing a colleague	おつかれさまです	Good work / Acknowledged your effort
Leaving before others	おさきにしつれいします	Excuse me for leaving first
After workday	おつかれさまでした	Good work today (to those leaving)

How to Introduce Yourself (First Meeting Flow)

「はじめまして。」— How do you do.
「〜ともうします。」or「〜です。」— I am called ~ / I am ~.
「〜からきました。」— I’m from ~.
「よろしくおねがいします。」— Please treat me well.

The other person responds with the same sequence, then both bow.

Yuka & Rei Practice Greetings for Every Situation

Here is how these phrases sound in a real exchange. Notice how naturally the expressions flow — and how the conversation stays polite even when things get complicated.

Yuka

Rei, I always feel awkward when I arrive at work. I know おはようございます, but is there anything else I should say?

Rei

Absolutely! When you arrive, you say おはようございます to everyone. When you leave before others, say おさきにしつれいします — ‘excuse me for leaving first.’ It’s considerate and expected.

Yuka

Oh, and what do I say when I come back from lunch?

Rei

When you return after being out, say ただいま in casual settings. In an office, もどりました — ‘I’m back’ — is more professional. People will reply おかえりなさい.

Yuka

What about meeting someone for the first time? I know はじめまして but I freeze after that.

Rei

Say: はじめまして。〜ともうします。どうぞよろしくおねがいいたします。 That’s ‘Nice to meet you, my name is ~, I look forward to working with you.’ Bow slightly. You’ll make a great impression!

5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud

Reading aloud forces your brain to process the phrase as sound, not just text. Do it five times for each sentence.

おはようございます。きょうはいいてんきですね。
Good morning. It’s nice weather today, isn’t it?
はじめまして。スミスともうします。どうぞよろしく。
Nice to meet you. My name is Smith. Please take care of me.
おひさしぶりです！おげんきでしたか？
It’s been a while! Have you been well?
おさきにしつれいします。おつかれさまでした。
Excuse me for leaving first. Good work today.
いただきます！
(Said before eating — a word of thanks and permission to begin.)

Your Turn! Leave Your Example in the Comments

The fastest way to make new phrases stick is to use them yourself. Pick one or two expressions from this article and write a sentence — or even a short conversation — based on your own life.

Drop your answer in the comments below. Other learners will read it, and seeing real examples from fellow students is one of the most motivating parts of learning a language. If you log in, your past comments stay on your profile — and our most active commenters appear in the Top Commenters list in the sidebar!

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