Greetings: Your Social Survival Kit
In Japan, set phrases (決まり文句, kimari monku) are the oil that keeps social life running smoothly. There is a "right thing to say" when you wake up, start a meal, leave the house, return home, visit someone's room, and even when you leave work before your colleagues! The wonderful part: because these phrases are fixed, you can memorize them once and sound natural immediately — no grammar required yet.
This chapter gives you every essential greeting and set phrase, when to use it, and to whom. Say each one out loud several times — rhythm matters more than perfection. From now on, all example words appear in kana (with kanji where natural), romaji, and English — try reading the kana first!
1. Greetings Through the Day
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| おはよう | ohayō | "Morning!" — casual, for family and close friends |
| おはようございます | ohayō gozaimasu | "Good morning" — polite version; use until about 10–11 am |
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | "Hello / Good afternoon" — from late morning to dusk. Note: the final は is the particle, so it is read wa! |
| こんばんは | konbanwa | "Good evening" — after dark (also written with particle は read "wa") |
| おやすみなさい | oyasuminasai | "Good night" — before sleeping, or leaving someone late at night; casual: おやすみ (oyasumi) |
Did you know? こんにちは literally means "as for this day…" and こんばんは "as for this evening…" — they are the surviving first halves of longer old greetings like "How is your spirit this day?" The sentence just got too long, so people dropped the ending centuries ago!
One important cultural note: Japanese does not use おはようございます etc. with strangers passing on the street the way some cultures do. Greetings are for people you know, or people you are about to interact with (shop staff, receptionists, teachers).
2. Meeting Someone for the First Time
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| はじめまして | hajimemashite | "Nice to meet you" — literally "for the first time"; opens every first meeting |
| よろしくおねがいします | yoroshiku onegaishimasu | The untranslatable essential! Roughly "please treat me kindly / I look forward to our relationship". Ends a self-introduction, seals a request, starts a collaboration. |
| おげんきですか | o-genki desu ka | "How are you?" — literally "are you well?" Used with people you haven't seen for a while (not every day like English "how are you") |
| はい、げんきです | hai, genki desu | "Yes, I'm well." The standard reply |
よろしくおねがいします deserves a special note: you will use it constantly. Meeting someone? よろしくおねがいします. Starting a lesson with a teacher? よろしくおねがいします. Asking a favor? よろしくおねがいします. When in doubt at the end of any introduction or request — say it, bow slightly, and you cannot go wrong. The full self-introduction gets its own chapter in the Conversation section.
3. Thank You and Sorry
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatō | "Thanks" — casual |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | "Thank you" — polite; the safe default |
| ありがとうございました | arigatō gozaimashita | "Thank you (for what you did)" — past tense, after the favor is complete |
| どうも | dōmo | Quick casual "thanks!" — to a shop clerk holding the door, etc. Boost politeness by combining: どうもありがとうございます |
| すみません | sumimasen | The Swiss-army phrase — see below! |
| ごめんなさい | gomennasai | "I'm sorry" — a personal apology; casual: ごめん (gomen) |
| いいえ | iie | "No / not at all" — also the humble reply to thanks |
| どういたしまして | dō itashimashite | "You're welcome" — textbook-correct, though many people just say いいえいいえ! |
すみません — the most useful word in Japan
すみません (sumimasen) has three superpowers:
- "Excuse me" — getting attention: すみません! to call a waiter, or squeezing through a crowded train.
- "Sorry" — a light apology for small inconveniences: bumping someone, being 2 minutes late.
- "Thank you (for your trouble)" — when someone goes out of their way for you, like picking up something you dropped. It thanks them and apologizes for the trouble in one word!
If you learn only one word from this chapter, make it すみません. It opens conversations, smooths mistakes, and makes you instantly polite.
4. Coming, Going, and Visiting
Japanese homes (and workplaces!) have a beautiful call-and-response ritual for leaving and returning:
| Situation | Person leaving/returning says | Person staying says |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving home | いってきます (ittekimasu) "I'm off (and I'll be back)!" | いってらっしゃい (itterasshai) "Off you go (safely)!" |
| Returning home | ただいま (tadaima) "I'm home!" | おかえりなさい (okaerinasai) "Welcome back!" (casual: おかえり) |
When visiting someone's home or offering hospitality:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃい | irasshai | "Welcome!" — informal greeting from a host welcoming a guest/friend to their home |
| おじゃまします | ojama shimasu | "Excuse me for intruding / bothering you" — said by a guest upon stepping into someone's home or office room |
| どうぞ | dōzo | "Please / go ahead" — offering someone a seat, handing an item, or inviting a guest inside (paired response: どうも) |
| ちょっとまってください | chotto matte kudasai | "Please wait a moment" — polite standard request when pausing an interaction |
And for partings and wishing someone well outside the home:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| さようなら | sayōnara | "Goodbye" — more final/formal than English "bye"; school children say it to teachers, but friends rarely use it day-to-day |
| じゃあ、また | jā, mata | "See you!" — the everyday casual goodbye; variations: またあした (mata ashita, see you tomorrow) |
| おだいじに | o-daiji ni | "Get well soon / take care of yourself" — said to someone who is ill or injured (e.g., leaving a clinic or pharmacy) |
| しつれいします | shitsurei shimasu | "Excuse me (for leaving/interrupting)" — formal; said when entering or leaving an office, or ending a phone call politely |
| おさきにしつれいします | osaki ni shitsurei shimasu | "Excuse me for leaving before you" — the set phrase for leaving work while colleagues are still there |
| おつかれさまです | otsukaresama desu | "Thank you for your hard work" — the all-purpose workplace greeting/goodbye between colleagues |
5. Mealtime Magic Words
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning & when to use |
|---|---|---|
| いただきます | itadakimasu | Said before eating — "I humbly receive (this food)". Hands together, tiny bow, then eat! |
| ごちそうさまでした | gochisōsama deshita | Said after finishing — "thank you for the feast". Also said to restaurant staff when leaving |
These two are used at every meal, even when eating alone. They express gratitude to everyone (and everything) that made the meal possible — a small window into Japanese culture through language.
6. Phrases You Will Hear (But Not Say)
Walk into any shop or restaurant in Japan and you will be greeted with:
- いらっしゃいませ! (irasshaimase) — "Welcome (to our store)!" — No reply is expected; a small nod is plenty.
- おまたせしました (omatase shimashita) — "Sorry to have kept you waiting" — said when bringing your order.
- またおこしくださいませ (mata okoshi kudasaimase) — "Please come again."
Knowing these are one-way ritual phrases saves you the panic of "what am I supposed to answer?!" — the answer is: nothing at all.
7. Bowing and Listening Sounds
Two habits complete your greeting toolkit:
- Bowing (おじぎ, ojigi): a small nod (~15 degrees) accompanies casual greetings and thanks; a deeper bow (~30 degrees) goes with はじめまして, apologies, and formal thanks. When in doubt, a modest bow with your hands at your sides (men) or crossed in front (women) is always safe. Bowing while speaking is completely normal.
- Aizuchi (あいづち): Japanese listeners constantly signal "I'm listening" with little sounds: はい (hai), ええ (ee), うん (un, casual), そうですか (sō desu ka, "is that so?"). Silence feels cold in Japanese conversation — sprinkle in aizuchi and you'll sound remarkably natural. Note: はい means "I hear you", not necessarily "I agree"!
8. How Greetings Are Tested on the JLPT
On the JLPT (Level N5), greetings and set phrases appear extensively in two specific Listening (聴解) question patterns:
- Utterance Expressions (発話表現 — Mondai 3): You look at an illustration in your test booklet showing an arrow pointing to a person in a situation (for example, entering someone's house, receiving a gift, or stepping on a foot). The recorded prompt asks: 「何と言いますか」 (Nan to iimasu ka — What do you say?). You must choose the correct set phrase (e.g., おじゃまします or すみません).
- Quick Response (即時応答 — Mondai 4): You hear a short spoken greeting or question without any picture or printed text, and you must immediately select the natural conversational rejoinder from three spoken choices (e.g., hearing 「いってきます」 and selecting 「いってらっしゃい」).
9. Mini Dialogues: Put It Together
Morning at the office
A: おはようございます。(Ohayō gozaimasu.) — Good morning.
B: おはようございます。きょうもあついですね。(Ohayō gozaimasu. Kyō mo atsui desu ne.) — Morning! Hot again today, isn't it?
A: そうですね。(Sō desu ne.) — It really is.
First meeting
A: はじめまして。リサです。よろしくおねがいします。(Hajimemashite. Risa desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) — Nice to meet you. I'm Lisa. Please treat me kindly.
B: はじめまして。たなかです。こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします。(Hajimemashite. Tanaka desu. Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) — Nice to meet you, I'm Tanaka. The pleasure is mine.
Visiting a friend's home
A: いらっしゃい。どうぞ。(Irasshai. Dōzo.) — Welcome! Come on in.
B: おじゃまします。(Ojama shimasu.) — Thank you for having me (excuse me for intruding).
Leaving home
A: いってきます!(Ittekimasu!) — I'm off!
B: いってらっしゃい。きをつけて。(Itterasshai. Ki o tsukete.) — Have a good day. Take care!
That last phrase, きをつけて (ki o tsukete, "take care / be careful"), is a lovely bonus — use it whenever someone sets off on a journey.
Summary & Key Takeaways
- Daily greetings rotate by time: おはようございます → こんにちは → こんばんは → おやすみなさい.
- First meetings: はじめまして + name + よろしくおねがいします — the phrase you will use forever.
- すみません = excuse me + sorry + thanks-for-the-trouble. The most useful word in Japan.
- Thanks: ありがとうございます (now) / ありがとうございました (after the favor). Reply: いいえ or どういたしまして.
- Home & visiting pairs: いってきます⇄いってらっしゃい, ただいま⇄おかえりなさい, いらっしゃい/どうぞ⇄おじゃまします.
- Health wishes: おだいじに when someone is unwell.
- Meals: いただきます before, ごちそうさまでした after.
- Everyday goodbye is じゃあ、また — not さようなら. At work: おつかれさまです and おさきにしつれいします.
- いらっしゃいませ needs no reply. Add small bows and aizuchi (はい, ええ, そうですか) to complete the picture.
- Exam alert: JLPT Listening Mondai 3 (発話表現) and Mondai 4 (即時応答) test these paired rejoinders directly!