Good-morning, Good-afternoon, Good-night of Recent Article

The Japanese greet many ways depending on the time of day.

 

Greetings are important to know in Japan.

The Japanese greet many ways depending on the time of day.
For instance, saying "Hello" takes many different forms, depending on the time of day.

 

 

Saying Hello

The Japanese have three major greetings based on morning, afternoon, and evening.

1. Good Morning: おはようございます(ohayou gozaimasu)
2. Hello or Good Afternoon: こんにちは(konnichiwa)
3. Good Evening: こんばんわ(konbanwa)
   

 

Saying Goodbye

Goodbye is done in two ways.
Say "Sayounara" for goodbyes that are more formal or more permanent.
A simple informal "bai bai" (=bye-bye) is fine for friends.
Occasionally you will hear Japanese use "Jaa-ne" or "Jaa-matane".
Literally, it would probably be more akin to "well, all right then," but it is employed in the same way as you would say "bye bye", or "see you".

1. Goodbye: さようなら/さよなら(sayounara/sayonara)
2. See you: バイバイ/じゃあね/じゃあまたね(bai bai/jaa-ne/jaa-matane)

 

Greeting when you leave home for school, work, a trip, or whatever reason

"Itterasshai" is what is normally said when sending someone off.
It literally means "go and return" and it's ittekimasu's response.
"Ki wo tsukete(ne)" is often used with "Itterasshai", it means "be careful" or "stay safe"

1. Have a nice day/Bye/See you/Take care: いってらっしゃい/行ってらっしゃい(itterasshai)
2. Be careful/Stay safe: きをつけて（ね）/気をつけて（ね）(ki wo tsukete[ne])
3. I'm going/I'm leaving/Bye/See you: いってきます/行ってきます(ittekimasu)

 

Greeting when you get home for school, work, a trip, or whatever reason

It's a salutations for going home.
"Tadaima" means "I'm home".
And my family members say "Okaeri" or "Okaerinasai" to me after I say "Tadaima".
"Okaeri" or "Okaerinasai" is tadaima's response, and it's a greeting to confirm family's (friend and partner) safety.
We feel that these words "Okaeri" and "Tadaima" symbolize family(friends and partners) ties.

1. I'm home/I'm back: ただいま(tadaima)
2. How was your work?/How was your day?: おかえり（なさい）/お帰り（なさい）(okaeri nasai)

 

Saying Good night

The word "yasumi" by itself means rest, a break as in a coffee break, or a vacation.
The expression "Oyasumi nasai" is commonly said to people who are going to bed.
It means "Please have a rest" or in other words, "Good night."

• Good night: おやすみ（なさい）/お休み（なさい）

 

 

*The time of each image is "Rough standard time."
*The hiragana, the katakana, and Mixed kana-kanji: The word written by a black-character is used most in Japan.  

Good Morning

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	おはよう ohayou	おはようございます ohayou gozaimasu
Katakana	オハヨウ ohayou	オハヨウゴザイマス ohayou gozaimasu
Mixed kana-kanji	お早う ohayou	お早う御座います ohayou gozaimasu

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I'm going/I'm leaving/Bye/See you

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	いってきます itte kimasu	いってまいります itte mairimasu
Katakana	イッテキマス itte kimasu	イッテマイリマス itte mairimasu
Mixed kana-kanji	行ってきます itte kimasu	行って参ります itte mairimasu

Have a nice day/Bye/See you/Take care

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	いってらっしゃい itte rasshai	いってらっしゃいませ itte rasshai mase
Katakana	イッテラッシャイ itte rasshai	イッテラッシャイマセ itte rasshai mase
Mixed kana-kanji	行ってらっしゃい itte rasshai	行ってらっしゃいませ itte rasshai mase

Be careful/Stay safe

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	きをつけて（ね） ki wo tsukete(ne)	おきをつけて o ki wo tsukete
Katakana	キヲツケテ（ネ） ki wo tsukete(ne)	オキヲツケテ o ki wo tsukete
Mixed kana-kanji	気をつけて（ね） ki wo tsukete(ne)	お気をつけて itte rasshai mase

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Goodbye/See you

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	ばいばい bai bai またね matane じゃあまたね jaa matane	さよなら/さようなら sayonara/sayounara
Katakana	バイバイ bai bai マタネ matane ジャアマタネ jaa matane	サヨナラ/サヨウナラ sayonara/sayounara

Hello/Good Afternoon

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	こんにちは konnichiwa	*The honorific doesn't exist because "Konnichiwa" is an interjection.
Katakana	コンニチワ konnichiwa
Mixed kana-kanji	今日は konnichiwa

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*Use "おはよう(ohayou)" from waking to about 12:00, "こんにちは(konnichiwa)" until dusk, "こんばんは(konbanwa)" throughout the evening, and "Oyasumi" only before bed or sleeping.

Good Evening

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	こんばんは konbanwa	*The honorific doesn't exist because "Konbanwa" is an interjection.
Katakana	コンバンハ konbanwa
Mixed kana-kanji	今晩は konbanwa

I'm home/I'm back

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	ただいま tadaima	ただいまかえりました tadaima kaeri mashita ただいまもどりました tadaima modori mashita
Katakana	タダイマ tadaima	タダイマカエリマシタ tadaima kaeri mashita タダイマモドリマシタ tadaima modori mashita
Mixed kana-kanji	只今 tadaima	只今帰りました tadaima kaeri mashita 只今戻りました tadaima modori mashita

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How was your work?/How was your day?

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	おかえり okaeri	おかえりなさい okaeri nasai
Katakana	オカエリ okaeri	オカエリナサイ okaeri nasai
Mixed kana-kanji	お帰り okaeri	お帰りなさい okaeri nasai

Good night

Japanese	Informal Japanese	Formal Japanese
Hiragana	おやすみ oyasumi	おやすみなさい oyasumi nasai
Katakana	オヤスミ oyasumi	オヤスミナサイ oyasumi nasai
Mixed kana-kanji	お休み oyasumi	お休みなさい oyasumi nasai

Hararie

 

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