How to Say ‘Hello.’ in Japanese
こんにちは。
konnichiwa
[kohn-nee-chee-wah]
💬 Usage Tip: [こんにちは] is a daytime greeting (not used late at night). The [は] is pronounced (wa)—a classic Japanese spelling surprise.
🇯🇵 In Japan: In interviews, pair it with a small bow and a calm voice; it sounds more professional than an excited “Hi!”.
Phrase Breakdown
こんにちは
konnichiwa
[kohn-nee-chee-wah]
Hello / Good afternoon
A standard polite greeting used in daytime; common at the start of meetings and interviews.
面接官にこんにちはとあいさつしました。
I greeted the interviewer by saying, “Hello.”
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