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] is the casual part, and [ございます] makes it polite. A great standard morning greeting in workplaces and classrooms.

おはようございます。

ohayou gozai masu

[oh-ha-yoh go-zai mahss]

💬 Usage Tip: [おはよう] is the casual part, and [ございます] makes it polite. A great standard morning greeting in workplaces and classrooms.

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, people often say [おはようございます] at work even a bit later in the morning. It sounds warm, polite, and very normal in daily life.

Phrase Breakdown

おはよう

ohayou

[oh-ha-yoh]

good morning

A common morning greeting. It is polite and used from early morning until around late morning.

Example

先生におはようと言いました。

I said good morning to the teacher.

ござい

gozai

[go-zai]

honorable/polite part of a polite expression

Part of the very polite expression ございます. By itself, it is usually not learned alone in conversation.

Example

店ではございませんと言うことがあります。

In shops, they may say gozai masen.

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite verb ending

A very common polite ending attached to verbs to make speech formal and respectful.

Example

毎日べんきょうしますのますは丁寧です。

In mainichi benkyou shimasu, masu is the polite ending.

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