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 way to say good morning. Think of it as casual [おはよう] + extra politeness.

おはようございます。

ohayou gozai masu

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

💬 Usage Tip: [おはようございます] is the standard polite way to say good morning. Think of it as casual [おはよう] + extra politeness.

🇯🇵 In Japan: This is very common at work, school, shops, and public places. Saying it clearly with a slight nod feels natural and friendly in Japan.

Phrase Breakdown

おはよう

ohayou

[oh-ha-yoh]

good morning

A morning greeting; here it is the first part of the more polite full expression.

Example

先生におはようとあいさつしました。

I greeted my teacher with "good morning."

ございます

gozai masu

to be / exist (polite auxiliary used in greetings)

Added to greetings like おはよう to make them polite and formal. It is not usually translated literally here.

Example

おはようございます。

Good morning.

Words in this phrase

ござい

gozai

[goh-zah-ee]

to exist; polite part of a formal expression

ござい is the polite stem used in fixed formal phrases such as おはようございます.

Example

朝のあいさつでございを聞きました。

I heard gozai in a morning greeting.

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite verb ending

ます adds politeness and is very common in formal spoken Japanese.

Example

会社ではますをよく使います。

At work, we often use masu.

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