Learn common Japanese greetings and farewells
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| こんにちは (kon'nichiwa), |
| おはようございます(Ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| お休みなさい (oyasuminasai) |
| What do these phrases mean? Stick around. In this quick lesson, you’ll learn basic Japanese greetings that all beginners must know. |
| Before we start, do you know how people in Japan usually greet each other? |
| Stay tuned to find out! |
| こんにちは (kon'nichiwa) |
| "Hello." |
| [SLOW] こんにちは (kon'nichiwa) |
| こんにちは (kon'nichiwa) |
| Since it was originally comes from the particle, "wa", as in, "kyo wa," today is. |
| Jack greets Steve at a networking event. |
| Jack: こんにちは、お元気ですか。 (Kon'nichiwa, o-genki desu ka.) |
| Steve: 元気です。ジャックさんは？ (Genki desu. Jakku-san wa?) |
| おはようございます。 (Ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| "Good morning." |
| [SLOW] おはようございます。 (Ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| おはようございます。 (Ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| If you work in the entertainment industry, |
| people tend to greet each other by saying "Ohayō gozaimasu." at any time of the day. |
| At a train station early in the morning, just before a group heads out for a hiking trip. |
| Aya: 皆さん、おはようございます。 (Mina-san, ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| Tom: おはよう！ (Ohayō!) |
| お休みなさい (oyasuminasai) |
| "Goodnight." |
| [SLOW] お休みなさい (oyasuminasai) |
| お休みなさい (oyasuminasai) |
| If you're close to someone, you can just say, "Oyasumi." |
| Steve and Tom are saying goodnight after watching a movie together. |
| Steve: お休みなさい。楽しかったよ。 (Oyasuminasai. Tanoshikatta yo.) |
| Tom: お休みなさい。また明日。 (Oyasuminasai. Mata ashita.) |
| 初めまして。 (Hajimemashite.) |
| "Nice to meet you." |
| [SLOW] 初めまして。 (Hajimemashite.) |
| 初めまして。 (Hajimemashite.) |
| In Japan, it's not common to hug. |
| Tomoko welcomes a new student to the class for the first time. |
| Tomoko: 初めまして。どうぞ、入ってください。 (Hajimemashite. Dōzo, haitte kudasai.) |
| Student: 初めまして。ありがとうございます。 (Hajimemashite. Arigatō gozaimasu.) |
| お元気ですか。 (O-genki desu ka.) |
| "How are you?" |
| [SLOW] お元気ですか。 (O-genki desu ka.) |
| お元気ですか。 (O-genki desu ka.) |
| Casually, you can say "Genki?" or "Saikin dō?" |
| Steve greets Tom at a party. |
| Steve: トムさん、お元気ですか。 (Tomu-san, o-genki desu ka.) |
| Tom: 元気です。スティーブさんはどうですか。 (Genki desu. Sutību-san wa dō desu ka.) |
| さようなら。 (Sayōnara.) |
| "Goodbye." |
| [SLOW] さようなら。 (Sayōnara.) |
| さようなら。 (Sayōnara.) |
| "Sayōnara" literally means farewell. |
| So depending on the situation, it could sound like you're not gonna meet each other forever. |
| Jack parts ways with Steve after a meeting. |
| Jack: さようなら。またすぐに！ (Sayōnara. Mata sugu ni!) |
| Steve: はい。それじゃ！ (Hai. Sore ja!) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Japanese. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "Hello."? |
| こんにちは (kon'nichiwa) |
| こんにちは (kon'nichiwa) |
| And how to say "Good morning."? |
| おはようございます。 (Ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| おはようございます。 (Ohayō gozaimasu.) |
| What about "Goodnight."? |
| お休みなさい (oyasuminasai) |
| お休みなさい (oyasuminasai) |
| Do you remember how to say "Nice to meet you."? |
| 初めまして。 (Hajimemashite.) |
| 初めまして。 (Hajimemashite.) |
| Let's try "How are you?" |
| お元気ですか。 (O-genki desu ka.) |
| お元気ですか。 (O-genki desu ka.) |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "Goodbye."? |
| さようなら。 (Sayōnara.) |
| さようなら。 (Sayōnara.) |
| Do you know how people in Japan usually greet each other? |
| The most common greeting in Japan is a bow, which can vary from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist, depending on the situation. |
| Handshakes are becoming more common, especially in business settings, but traditional Japanese greetings don't involve any physical contact. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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