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Greetings & Set Phrases

Essential Japanese greetings, set phrases, and social expressions for daily life.

Japanese Greetings & Set Phrases

Japanese has a rich set of fixed expressions used in daily life. Many have no direct English equivalent — they're tied to specific social situations rather than literal meanings.

Most phrases have a polite form and a casual form. The polite versions (ございます, なさい endings) are safe in any context. The casual versions are for close friends and family.

Unlike English, where 'hello' works all day, Japanese greetings change by time of day. And several phrases that seem like greetings are actually closer to social rituals — saying いただきます before eating, for example, isn't optional politeness but an expected part of the meal.

Everyday Greetings

Japanese greetings change with the time of day. There is no single all-purpose 'hello.'

  • おはようございます — morning greeting (until ~10am)
  • こんにちは — daytime greeting (~10am to evening)
  • こんばんは — evening greeting
  • おやすみなさい — said before going to sleep, or when parting at night

The casual forms drop the polite endings: おはよう, おやすみ. こんにちは and こんばんは are the same in both registers.

Examples

  • おはようございます。

    Good morning. (polite)

  • こんにちは。

    Hello / Good afternoon.

  • こんばんは。

    Good evening.

  • おやすみなさい。

    Good night. (polite)

  • おはよう。

    Morning. (casual)

  • おやすみ。

    Night. (casual)
Meeting & Parting

Japanese has distinct phrases for first meetings, ongoing relationships, and farewells.

  • はじめまして — 'for the first time' — used only at a first meeting
  • よろしくお願いします — roughly 'please treat me well' — closes a self-introduction
  • さようなら — a relatively formal goodbye; implies you won't see the person for a while
  • じゃあね / またね — casual 'see you'
  • では、また — polite 'see you again'
  • お元気で — 'take care' — used for longer separations
よろしくお願いします is one of the most versatile phrases in Japanese. Beyond introductions, it's used when asking for a favor, starting a business relationship, beginning a project, or even signing off an email. The ultra-polite form is よろしくお願いいたします.

Examples

  • はじめまして。田中と申します。

    How do you do. I'm Tanaka.

  • どうぞよろしくお願いします。

    Nice to meet you. (Please treat me well.)

  • こちらこそよろしくお願いします。

    Likewise, nice to meet you too.

  • さようなら。

    Goodbye. (formal)

  • じゃあね。

    See you. (casual)

  • またね。

    See you later. (casual)

  • では、また明日。

    Well then, see you tomorrow.

  • お元気で。

    Take care.
Gratitude

Thanking someone ranges from casual どうも to very polite ありがとうございます.

  • ありがとうございます — standard polite thanks
  • どうもありがとう — emphatic but slightly casual thanks
  • どうも — very casual 'thanks' (also used as a general casual greeting)
  • どういたしまして — 'you're welcome'
  • とんでもないです — 'not at all' — a humble deflection
  • おかげさまで — 'thanks to you' — acknowledging someone's help in your good fortune

Examples

  • ありがとうございます。

    Thank you very much. (polite)

  • どうもありがとう。

    Thank you so much. (casual-emphatic)

  • どういたしまして。

    You're welcome.

  • いいえ、とんでもないです。

    No, not at all.

  • おかげさまで、元気です。

    Thanks to you, I'm doing well.
Apologies

Japanese distinguishes between casual apologies, polite apologies, and formal/business apologies.

  • すみません — polite, all-purpose: apology, 'excuse me,' getting attention
  • ごめんなさい — personal apology, slightly emotional ('I'm sorry')
  • 申し訳ありません — formal/business apology ('I have no excuse')
  • 失礼します — 'excuse me' — used when entering/leaving a room, interrupting, or hanging up the phone
  • 大変失礼いたしました — very formal apology for a serious error
すみません doubles as both an apology and a way to get someone's attention (like 'excuse me'). In shops and restaurants, it's the standard way to call a server. It can even express light gratitude — when someone holds a door for you, すみません is more natural than ありがとう.

Examples

  • すみません。

    Excuse me. / I'm sorry. (polite, all-purpose)

  • ごめんなさい。

    I'm sorry. (personal apology)

  • 申し訳ありません。

    I sincerely apologize. (formal/business)

  • 失礼します。

    Excuse me. (entering/leaving/interrupting)

  • 大変失礼いたしました。

    I am terribly sorry. (very formal)
Meals

Japanese has set phrases said before and after every meal. Skipping them is considered rude.

  • いただきます — said before eating; literally 'I humbly receive.' Expresses gratitude for the food, the cook, and the ingredients.
  • ごちそうさまでした — said after eating; literally 'it was a feast.' Thanks the person who prepared or paid for the meal.
  • ごちそうさま — casual version, used at home or with friends.

Examples

  • いただきます。

    I humbly receive. (before eating)

  • ごちそうさまでした。

    Thank you for the meal. (after eating, polite)

  • ごちそうさま。

    Thanks for the food. (after eating, casual)
Coming & Going

Japanese has paired call-and-response phrases for leaving and returning home, as well as entering someone else's home.

  • 行ってきます — 'I'm heading out (and will come back)' — said by the person leaving
  • 行ってらっしゃい — 'go and come back safely' — the response from those staying
  • ただいま — 'I'm home' — said upon returning
  • おかえりなさい — 'welcome back' — the response to ただいま
  • お邪魔します — 'I'm intruding' — said when entering someone else's home
  • お邪魔しました — 'I intruded' — said when leaving someone else's home

Examples

  • 行ってきます。

    I'm heading out. (leaving home)

  • 行ってらっしゃい。

    Have a good day. / Take care. (response)

  • ただいま。

    I'm home. (returning home)

  • おかえりなさい。

    Welcome back. (response)

  • お邪魔します。

    Pardon the intrusion. (entering someone's home)

  • お邪魔しました。

    Thank you for having me. (leaving someone's home)
Workplace & Business

The workplace has its own set of essential phrases that are used daily.

  • お疲れ様です — 'you must be tired' — a greeting to colleagues during work; acknowledges their effort
  • お疲れ様でした — same but past tense — said when leaving work or after completing something
  • お先に失礼します — 'excuse me for leaving first' — said when you leave before others
  • お世話になっております — 'you are taking care of us' — standard business greeting in emails and calls
  • よろしくお願いいたします — ultra-polite request closer, used in business emails and formal requests

Examples

  • お疲れ様です。

    Good work. / Hello. (to colleagues, during work)

  • お疲れ様でした。

    Good work today. / Thanks for your hard work. (end of work)

  • お先に失礼します。

    Excuse me for leaving before you.

  • お世話になっております。

    Thank you for your continued support. (business greeting)

  • よろしくお願いいたします。

    I look forward to working with you. (formal request closer)