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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Fun &Easy Japanese by JapanesePod101.com!
Do you know the 12 most common ways to say hello in Japanese? If you don’t, keep watching!
こんにちは、りさです。
Hi everyone! I’m Risa.
In this lesson, you’ll learn 12 Ways to Say Hello in Japanese.
This includes common greetings like how are you, good morning, good evening… and bonus phrases that are not in the English language.
In this video you'll learn...
First, the Formal Greetings
Second: Informal Greetings
And Finally: Unique Japanese Greetings
Let’s start with formal greetings. You can use these in most occasions when you want to be polite.
The first one is Kon'nichiwa.
This is the most common way to say hello and is used between morning and evening. Just don’t use it with close friends because it’s a formal phrase and would be awkward.
For example, you can say:
Kon'nichiwa, o-genki desu ka.
Hello, how are you?
Next, Hajimemashite, or “nice to meet you.”
Use this greeting when meeting someone for the first time. It’s formal but you can use it in any occasion.
For example, you can say:
Hajimemashite, watashi wa Naomi desu.
Nice to meet you, I am Naomi.
Next is… Ohayō gozaimasu or “good morning.”
Ohayō comes from the word はやい which means “early” and the O in front makes it polite.
Gozaimasu is the polite word used to end a sentence, meaning “it is” or “there is/are.”
Here’s an example:
Ohayō gozaimasu. O-genki desu ka.
Good morning. How are you?
Next is… Konbanwa or “Good evening.”
Konbanwa literally means “this evening is…” And you can use this with anyone, from evening to night.
For example:
Konban-wa. Samui desu ne.
Good evening. It is cold, isn't it?
Next: O-genki desu ka.
Or “how are you?”
O is the polite emphasizing word, genki means “in good shape,” and desu ka is the polite word to put at the end of a question.
Here’s an example:
A: O-genki desu ka.
B: Hai, genki desu.
In English this translates roughly as:
A: How are you? Are you doing well?
B: Yes, I’m good.
And finally O-hisashiburi desu or “Long time no see.”
Use this greeting when you meet someone you haven’t seen in a while. Hisashiburi means “after a while” and O makes it polite. Desu is the word used to end a polite sentence.
For example:
O-hisashiburi desu. O-genki desu ka.
Long time no see. How are you?
Now, let’s cover the informal greetings.
Greetings that you should only use with family and friends.
The first one is - Ohayō, or good morning.
This is a casual version of Ohayō gozaimasu.
For example
Ohayō. Mada nemui.
おはよう。まだ眠い。
Good morning. I’m still sleepy.
Next is…. “Genki?” or “How are you?”
Genki? is just the shortened phrase for O-genki desu ka.
For example:
Genki? Kawari nai?
How are you? Are you all good?
Next: Saikin dō
or “What’s up?,”
“How is it going recently?”
Saikin means “recently” and dou is “how?”
If you want to make it formal, just add desu ka at the end:
Saikin dō desu ka.
For example:
Saikin dō? Kanojo to junchō?
What’s up? Are you doing well with your girlfriend?
Next: Hisashiburi or “It’s been a while!”
Hisashiburi is an informal greeting and is a very common way to say “hello” when you see someone again after a while.
For example:
Hisashiburi! Aitakatta!
It’s been a while! I wanted to see you!
Finally, let’s do “Unique Japanese Greetings”
These are greetings that don’t exist in the English language and are used on special occasions.
First: Irasshaimase or “Welcome.”
Irasshaimase is formal and is only used in stores or restaurants to greet and welcome customers and guests. You likely won’t have to use it, but you will hear irrashaimase a lot.
Here’s an example:
Irasshaimase. Nanmei-sama desu ka.
Welcome. How many are you? (at a restaurant)
Next “moshi moshi” or “Hello” when answering the phone.
Moshi moshi is only used on the phone, whether you’re calling or answering the phone.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Moshi moshi, watashi wa Tanaka desu. Suzuki-san wa imasu ka.
Hello? I am Tanaka. Is Mr. Suzuki there?
And finally: Otsukare-sama desu or “Well done, hello, or bye.”
Otsukare-sama desu is a formal term and is a very useful phrase to use at work. You can use it to say “well done,” “good job,” “bye” and even “hello.”
For example, when leaving the office, you can say this to coworkers that are still working:
お疲れ様です、お先に失礼します。
In English, this roughly translates to:
Good work today! Please excuse me for leaving before you.
In this lesson you learned 12 ways to say hello in Japanese.
But, if you want to speak even more Japanese and learn in the fastest, easiest and most fun way, go to JapanesePod101 dot com and sign up for your FREE lifetime account right now. Get our complete learning program with real lessons by real teachers.
That’s it for today!
See you next time!
またね！

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