How do you say "Good morning." in Japanese?

"Good morning." in Japanese is "おはようございます。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘Good morning.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "おはようございます。" mean in English?

"おはようございます。" means "Good morning." in English. Usage tip: [おはようございます] is the standard polite morning greeting. Use it at work, school, or with people you do not know well.

おはようございます。

ohayou gozai masu

[oh-ha-yoh go-zah-ee mahss]

💬 Usage Tip: [おはようございます] is the standard polite morning greeting. Use it at work, school, or with people you do not know well.

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japanese workplaces, saying [おはようございます] clearly when you arrive is almost a daily ritual. It shows good manners and team spirit.

Phrase Breakdown

おはよう

ohayou

[oh-ha-yoh]

good morning

The greeting part of the full polite expression おはようございます。

Example

先生におはようとあいさつした。

I greeted my teacher with "good morning."

ございます

gozai masu

to be; polite auxiliary used in greetings

In this phrase, ございます adds politeness to おはよう.

Example

おはようございます。

Good morning.

Words in this phrase

ござい

gozai

[go-zah-ee]

to be; to exist (polite stem)

A very polite verb stem used in formal set expressions like おはようございます。

Example

こちらに資料がございますと説明した。

I explained, "The materials are here."

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite verb ending

Adds politeness to a verb or expression in everyday formal Japanese.

Example

会議は九時に始まります。

The meeting starts at nine o'clock.

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