It’s not as straightforward as you would think
I sometimes play a game with my English students. We ask the question, “How often do you…” and try to elicit the response we want — always, sometimes, hardly ever, or never.
One of my students asked me, “How often do you say ‘Good morning’ to your children in the morning?”
I could tell by the glint in her eyes, she thought she had an “always” answer in the bag!
Imagine her shock when I answered, “Hardly ever.”
“What? You don’t say “good morning” to your children in the morning?! Why not?”
She must have thought I was a very rude mother.
I explained, “Because I say, ‘Hi!’”
Something as simple as saying “Hi” is shocking because it is just not the way greetings are done in Japan. There is no anytime-of-the-day word for Hello in Japanese.
These are the four main greetings used:
Ohayō-gozaimasu (oh-ha-yo-go-zai-mä-su)
Ohayō-gozaimasu literally means, “You are early” and is used as “Good morning.” It’s generally used before about 10:00–11:00 when first seeing someone that day.
Konnichiwa (con-nee-chi-wah)
Konnichiwa is the midday word for “Hello.” It literally means “Today is…” It’s probably the closest to “Hello.”
Konbanwa (con-bahn-wah)
Konbanwa means “Good evening,” or rather “This evening is…”
Do people even say “Good evening” in English anymore? I usually say “Hello” or “Hi.”
Oyasuminasai (oh-ya-sue-me-nah-sigh)
Literally, “Rest!” In essence, oyasuminasai pretty much equals, “Good night.”
There is no Japanese Word for “Hello”
So, if you want to say “Hello” when you are in Japan, learn these four greetings. First make note of the time of day, then choose which one to use.
Alternatively, you could just not worry about the time and say, “Otsukaresama-desu!”
If you have questions about Japan or suggestions for articles, please add them in the comments. For more photos and information on Japan, follow me on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/more_than_tokyo/
