Greeting

The greetings you use depend on the person you are speaking to and the situation.

This page explains various greetings depending on the person and the situation.

When Meeting Someone You Don’t Know

When meeting someone you don’t know, you say “初はじめまして”.

To express your desire to become good friends in the future, after introducing yourself including your name, say “よろしくお願ねがいします”.

When Meeting Someone

When meeting someone in the morning, you say “おはようございます”.

You can say this when meeting someone you know or when meeting someone you don’t know, but when meeting someone you don’t know, you sometimes start by saying “初はじめまして”.

If you are meeting a family member, a close friend or a close colleague, you say “おはよう”.

When meeting someone during the day, you say “こんにちは”.

You can say this when meeting someone you know or when meeting someone you don’t know, but when meeting someone you don’t know, you sometimes start by saying “初はじめまして”.

You rarely say this if the person you are meeting is a family member, a close friend or a close colleague.

When meeting someone at night, you say “こんばんは”.

You can say this when meeting someone you know or when meeting someone you don’t know, but when meeting someone you don’t know, you sometimes start by saying “初はじめまして”.

You rarely say this if the person you are meeting is a family member, a close friend or a close colleague.

Many working adults and university students say “お疲つかれ様さまです” when meeting a friend or a person from the same company.

It is used as a greeting regardless of whether you are actually tired or not.

If the person you are meeting is a close friend or a close colleague, you also say “お疲つかれ”.

When Meeting Someone You Haven’t Seen for a Long Time

When meeting someone you haven’t seen for a long time, you say, “お久ひさしぶりです” or “ご無沙汰ぶさたしております”.

Both have the same meaning, but “ご無沙汰ぶさたしております” is more polite.

If the person you are meeting is a close friend or a close colleague, you also say “久ひさしぶり”.

When Saying Goodbye

When saying goodbye to someone, you say “さようなら” or “さよなら”.

If you’re saying goodbye to a family member, a close friend or a close colleague, you say “じゃあね”, “またね”, “また明日あした” or “バイバイ”.

Many working adults and university students say “お疲つかれ様さまです” or “お疲つかれ様さまでした” when saying goodbye to a friend or a person from the same company. Both have the same meaning.

It is used as a greeting regardless of whether you are actually tired or not.

If the person you are saying goodbye is a close friend or a close colleague, you also say “お疲つかれ”.

When working adults leave before others, they say “お先さきに失礼しつれいします”.

When Saying Thank You

When saying thank you, you say “ありがとうございます” or “ありがとうございました”. They both have the same meaning.

You say this to a person you know and a person you don’t know.

When saying thank you to a family member, a close friend or a close colleague, you say “ありがとう”.

When someone thanks you, you respond with “どういたしまして”.

When someone thanks you, if it’s a family member, a close friend or a close colleague, you likely reply “いえいえ”.

When Apologizing

When apologizing, you say “ごめんなさい”, “すみません”, “申もうし訳わけありません” or “申もうし訳わけございません”.

They all mean the same thing, but “すみません” is more polite than “ごめんなさい”.

“申もうし訳わけありません” is more polite.

“申もうし訳わけございません” is the most polite.

When you want to politely apologize such as when you have caused trouble to a customer at work, you say “申もうし訳わけございません”.

You say this to a person you know and a person you don’t know.

When apologizing to a family member, a close friend or a close colleague, you say “ごめん”.

When someone apologizes to you, if it’s a family member, a close friend or a close colleague, you reply “いえいえ”.

Before Eating/After Eating

Before eating, you say “いただきます”

After eating, you say “ごちそうさまでした”, “ごちそうさまです” or “ごちそうさま”.

They all mean the same thing, but “ごちそうさまでした” and “ごちそうさまです” are more polite ways of saying it.

When Leaving Home/When Coming Home

When leaving home, you say “いってきます”, and the person you’re saying this to replies with “いってらっしゃい”.

When coming home, you say “ただいま”, and the person you’re saying this to replies with “おかえりなさい” or “おかえり”. Both have the same meaning.

When Going to Bed

When going to bed, you say “おやすみなさい” or “おやすみ”. They both mean the same thing.

When Asking Someone a Question/Making a Request

When asking someone a question or making a request, you say “すみません”.

You also say “すみません” when calling a waiter at a restaurant or a store.