Greetings in Japanese: The Basic Words and Phrases Beginning Learners Need

Author : Ziya khan | Published On : 05 Oct 2026

If you ever want to learn Japanese, it gets way less challenging if you start with simple phrases that you will actually use in conversations. One of the reasons that greetings are so good to start with is because they allow you to begin, continue and finish basic interactions without requiring advanced japanese grammar.

When it comes to Japanese greetings, the time of day, relationship, situation and level of politeness all come into play. For instance, the time of day you greet a teacher might be different from how you greet your best friend. Learning these little details can make beginners sound much more natural and polite in the language.

Why Learn Japanese Greetings First?

Good morning Messages in Japanese are one of the first sentences that a Japanese learner comes across. They are heard in classrooms, workplaces, shops and restaurants, around homes and in casual conversation.

Japan National Tourism Organization states useful Japanese phrases for visitors — ohayou gozaimasu, konnichiwa, konbanwa, oyasumi nasai, arigatou and sumimasen.

The first objective for newbies is certainly not to learn a dozen expressions straight away. Learn a few useful phrases, learn when you can use them, and practice saying them naturally.

Ohayou Gozaimasu – Good Morning

Japanese: おはようございます

Romaji: Ohayou gozaimasu

Meaning: Good morning

A polite way of saying Good Morning. It is polite when you are talking with a teacher, colleague, boss (senior), client or someone who you cannot call by his name straight away.

When with friends and family, you´ll usually be hearing just the shorter form of ohayou (おはよう).

For example:

A: Ohayou gozaimasu.

B: Ohayou gozaimasu.

Okay, so their beginner material tells us that we say ohayou gozaimasu in the morning and it specifically compares it to a casual version, which is ohayou.

Konnichiwa ー Hello or Good Afternoon

Japanese: こんにちは

Romaji: Konnichiwa

Meaning: Hello / Good afternoon

Konnichiwa This is the most typical known Japanese Arabic cultural greetings. This is normally used during day time while meeting someone.

Most beginners propose translate it as simple as "hello" witch works perfectly for your everyday learning. Normally, it isn't the wording you would use for early morning or late night greetings.

The spelling of it has one interesting point. The last character is は, but here it is pronounced as wa

When you want to greet a teacher, an acquaintance, shop staff member or someone that you are meeting in day time.

Konbanwa – Good Evening

Japanese: こんばんは

Romaji: Konbanwa

Meaning: Good evening

Konbanwa – Good evening (in the evening)

Keep in mind that konbanwa is a greeting to meet someone, it does not mean goodbye. If you are leaving a person at night, I'd choose another expression depending on the case.

Just like in konnichiwa, the final は is pronounced wa.

A simple conversation could be:

A: Konbanwa.

B: Konbanwa.

Konbanwa, which means "Good evening," is the standard beginner's term for greeting at night according to both JNTO and the Japan Foundation.

Oyasumi Nasai – Good Night

Japanese: おやすみなさい

Romaji: Oyasumi nasai

Meaning: Good night

Oyasumi nasai is generally an expression you have towards bedtime or for your last words of the day on nighttime.

The informal is oyasumi (おやすみ) used especially with close friends and family.

Part 2: Do not confuse konbanwa with oyasumi nasai. If you met someone at night then you can say konbanwa. Say oyasumi nasai for good night before going to sleep.

Learn the Japanese phrase Hajimemashite — meaning nice to meet you

Japanese: はじめまして

Romaji: Hajimemashite

Meaning: Nice to meet you

Hajimemashite is a term to remember when meeting someone for the first time.

It generally appears at the initial state of self-introduction. For example:

Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Riya desu.

Nice to meet you. I am Riya.

You could then describe your origins, occupation and/or the intentions behind why you are learning the language.

This one is a must know to use during introductions (which makes up the majority of any classroom or language-learning situation):

Arigatou Gozaimasu – Thank You

Japanese: ありがとうございます

Romaji: Arigatou gozaimasu

Meaning: Thank you

This is not exactly a greeting, but technically it is an expression of thanks and it one of the most functional polite expressions that beginners should definitely learn.

There is a casual version, arigatou and there is the polite one, even ok to use in almost any scenario arigatou gozaimasu.

Use it whenever a person helps, when he gives you something, answers your question or provides a service.

It is important to learn the polite forms of address early because this will help beginners communicate politely even when they have little vocabulary.

You know when someone bumps into you on the street and just walks past without a word or glance in your direction?

Japanese: すみません

Romaji: Sumimasen

Meaning: Excuse me / Sorry

Sumimasen is doubly useful in this sense since it can be used for several purposes.

You can use it to get someone's attention, for a minor apology or simply as an expression of politeness acknowledging someone.

If you want to talk to a staff member in a shop, for example:

Sumimasen.

This is often more practical in real life than what a beginner might think. Even official Japanese learning resources feature this among necessary expressions for daily living.

Sayounara – Goodbye

Japanese: さようなら

Romaji: Sayounara

Meaning: Goodbye

Sayounara (さようなら) is normally learned as the official word for goodbye in Japanese. But we must make it clear to newbies that this is not always the most natural thing every time they dump someone.

In less formal contexts, ja mata (じゃ、また) or mata ne (またね) are more natural when you intend to see the person again.

For example:

Ja, mata ashita.

See you tomorrow.

That understanding of the difference that allows you to go from textbook Japanese into a expression that befits the relationship as well as situation.

Otsukaresama Desu – An Expression For Everyday Use

Japanese: おつかれさまです

Romaji: Otsukaresama desu

Datemeing: A polite way to say that you acknowledge the work someone has done

This phrase is significant when learning Japanese Phrases  and sentences related to a work setting.

You might hear it in between coworkers when beginning or ending an interaction, after a task has finished being done by someone, or as credit to the labor of others.

There is no single correct English translation for it. Context is important here because it could either mean to "well done," "thank you for your hard work" or just being polite in the workplace.

This is a great example of why learning Japanese is about context, not just word translation.

Beginner Japanese Greetings You Should Practice

So instead of attempting to commit every phrase in one go, start by with these useful phrases:

• Ohayou gozaimasu – Good morning

• Konnichiwa — Hello / Good afternoon

• Konbanwa – Good evening

• Oyasumi nasai – Good night

• Hajimemashite – Hajimemashite

• Arigatou gozaimasu – Thank you

• Sumimasen – Excuse me / Sorry

• Sayounara – Goodbye

• Ja, mata – See you

• Otsukaresama desu – Acknowledging work done by others

Say each phrase out loud and not just read it. Japanese is easy to pronounce as long you listen and speak, and repeat.

Polite & Casual Japanese — What Is The Difference?

The first thing that should be an easy concept for beginners, is that Japanese has various levels of politeness.

For example:

Polite: Ohayou gozaimasu

Casual: Ohayou

Similarly:

Polite: Arigatou gozaimasu

Casual: Arigatou

Therefore, even if you are already used to using informal Japanese since that is our native way of communicating but in the case you will speak with teachers, seniors or your customers and colleagues whom you never met before then it is always advisable to speak polite form or kanji. The casual forms work under unbearably relaxed conditions, such as with very good friends and family.

You do not have to learn Japanese honorific language right away. But knowing this simple difference early will avoid many rookie mistakes.

Simple Practice Situations

One thing you will help you not to forget the greetings is the use of situations.

Morning:

You walk into your Japanese classroom and there is just your teacher.

→ Ohayou gozaimasu.

Daytime:

You bump into an acquaintance in the afternoon.

→ Konnichiwa.

Evening:

You meet someone after work.

→ Konbanwa.

Before sleeping:

You say goodnight to the family.

→ Oyasumi.

First meeting:

You become friends with a new Japanese person.

→ Hajimemashite.

Asking for someone's attention:

You need help in a shop.

→ Sumimasen.

Such situations of use is definitely a much more effective way at learning greetings than, for example, memorising greets on their own from a vocabulary list.

How to Learn Japanese Greetings and Sound like a Native

First, learn the three time-based greetings: ohayou gozaimasu, konnichiwa and konbanwa When these are comfortable, include expressions like hajimemashite, arigatou gozaimasu and sumimasen.

Also, listening to native Japanese speakers is nice too. Processing/speaking or listening/writing must consider proper pronunciation, rhythm and the context of where an expression is used. In the case of the Japan Foundation's Irodori materials, greetings are taught through listening and shadowing practice instead of just vocabulary memorization.

Lastly, stop stressing on being perfect from day one. Rather than speaking fast, a clear pronunciation, proper level of politeness and situation are way more important.

Conclusion

Basic Japanese greetings are easy to learn yet extremely important for communicating in a natural way. You begin by learning basic greetings for morning, daytime, evening and sleep time then you learn gradually expressions that help you in meeting people, thanking others — apologising — goodbye.

The best way is to practice each phrase in a practical situation. Japanese conversations get so much easier and comfier when you know not only what a phrase means, but also when and with whom to use it. These repetitive phrases can help create a base by listening and speaking for simple Japanese.