In this lesson, we’re focusing on how to say “good morning” in Japanese. Like English people, the Japanese also greet each other at different times of the day. Especially in Japan, where being polite is important, this phrase is useful to know and can brighten someone’s day!
Do you greet your family and friends in the morning? We got you! We will not only teach you the Japanese way to say “good morning.” We’ll also give you a brief lecture on Japanese culture regarding greetings and a new vocabulary list related to the forenoon.
Contents
- 1 Different ways to say “Good Morning” in Japanese
- 2 Japanese Greeting Variations for Good Morning
- 3 10 Ideas of How to Answer “Good Morning” in Japanese
- 4 Words/Phrases related to “Morning” in Japanese
- 5 Vocabulary associated with Japanese Morning
- 6 Common Japanese Morning Routine
- 7 What Time? Words define the Morning Time
- 8 Other Japanese Daily Greetings
- 9 Learning Japanese with Positive Attitude
Different ways to say “Good Morning” in Japanese
Just like English, Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening/Good night is standard daily greetings in Japan. Japanese people use おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu | good morning) from early morning to around 10:30 AM. They then switch to こんにちは (konnichiwa | good afternoon), こんばんは (konbanwa | good evening), and おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai | good night).
However, Japanese people don’t use the phrase good afternoon or hello as much compared to the western world. Instead, they use good morning in broader situations.
Friendly greetings are very basic to speaking communication. Especially a cheerful morning greeting makes a day nice and fresh. Let’s start with a basic Japanese greeting おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu)!
Formal Japanese Greeting
Ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます | お早う御座います)
It’s a formal greeting for good morning in Japan. Japanese people use this when talking to older people, the people they respect, and the people they meet for the first time. Also, it’s expected in teacher-student relations or business relations.
Tips for a formal greeting
Although it’s unnecessary, if you want to greet in a formal or respectful way, you can do the Japanese bow. In that case, don’t bow deeper than 30 degrees. If you want to keep the greeting warm and friendly, just give a slight nod called えしゃく (eshaku | 会釈) instead of a bow, おじぎ (ojigi | お辞儀).
Informal Japanese Greeting
Ohayou (おはよう | お早う)
The informal Japanese greeting is used widely among friends, family members, and coworkers. Usually, good morning greetings between friends are casual and slang-like.
Tips for an informal greeting
If you’re unsure when to speak Japanese informally, you can always follow how the other person communicates. A friendly mood and positive attitude are contagious, so you don’t need to be nervous about using informal Japanese greetings.
Japanese Greeting Variations for Good Morning
“Good morning” in the Japanese language doesn’t only translate to their informal and formal versions above. There are more variations of it that we have listed below.
Slang Greetings
- おはよー (ohayoo)
- おっはー (ohhaa)
- おは (oha)
- はよん (hayon)
- おっす (ossu)*
- よっす (yossu)*
*also for Hey or Hi, a little mannish phrase.
Internet Slang Greetings
- おは (oha)
- おはあり (ohaari)*
- 乙 (otsu) *Also, otsukaresama (おつかれさま | good work)
- あさがきたー(asa ga kita | 朝がキタ) *The morning has come.
*good morning, and thank you.
Emoticon Greetings
Here are the interpretations of some cute かおもじ (kaomoji | 顔文字 | emoticon) for good morning. You can also create your Emoticon for fun!
- オハヨ━━(。・∀・)ノ━━ゴザイマス
- ٩(ˆ ˆ๑)۶おはよー
- ฅˆ•ﻌ•ˆฅ♡Ⴛ̅̀∣ժ̅ ꒭~੭ੇ♡
- ΟΗΑΥΘ–(‘Α’dp)))–!!
- ցօօժ ʍօɾղíղց(。•◡•。)⸝⋆
Regional Variations
People around Tokyo speak the standard Japanese language, though there are many dialects in Japan. Here are some examples.
- おはよう (ohayou) *Tokyo
- おはやがんす (ohayagansu ) *Iwate, Yamagata
- はやえなっす (hayaenassu) *Yamagata, Fukushima
- おはようさん (ohayousan) *Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara
- おはようあります (ohayouarimasu) *Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
- あだっごあした (adaddaashita) *Kagoshima
- うきみそーちー (ukimisoochi) *Okinawa *commonly spoken area
10 Ideas of How to Answer “Good Morning” in Japanese
Even though greeting each other is a communication basis in our society, we sometimes wonder what we should reply to or how to continue the conversation in a foreign language. But don’t worry, we suggest you some tips for a friendly reply. Once you picture it, you can merrily go around Japan and meet new people.
If someone says good morning to you, you would reply the same and then:
- It’s a beautiful morning.
- 爽やかな朝ですね。
- さわやかなあさですね
- Sawayakana asa desu ne.
- It’s a nice day, today.
- 今日は、とても気持ちが良い天気です。
- きょうは、とてもきもちがよいてんきです。
- Kyouwa, totemo kimochi ga yoi tenki desu.
- It’s getting warmer/ It’s getting colder lately.
- 近頃、だんだん暖かく/だんだん寒くなって来ましたね。
- ちかごろ、だんだんあたたかく/だんだんさむく なってきましたね。
- Chikagoro, dandan atatakaku/dandan samuku nattekimashita ne.
- Did you sleep well last night?
- 昨日は良く眠れましたか?
- きのうはよくねむれましたか?
- Kinou wa yoku nemuremashita ka?
- What are your plans for today?
- 今日の予定は何ですか?
- きょうのよていはなんですか?
- Kyou no yotei wa nan desu ka?
- Let’s do our best day today, too.
- 今日も一日頑張りましょう。
- きょうもいちにちがんばりましょう。
- Kyou mo ichinichi ganbarimashou.
- I’m looking forward to working together. / Please take care of me today.
- 今日はよろしくお願いします。
- きょうはよろしくおねがいします。
- Kyou wa yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
- 良い一日を。
- よいいちにちを。
- Yoi ichinichi wo.
- See you later.
- また後で会いましょう。
- またあとであいましょう。
- Mata ato de aimashou.
- Wishing you a safe journey.
- 気を付けて行って来てください。
- きをつけていってきてください。
- Ki wo tsukete ittekite kudasai.
Getting familiar with new vocabulary is always interesting. Let’s learn new Japanese words and phrases. You can use the following words both in formal situations and informal situations.
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
AM, morning | 朝 | あさ | asa |
dawn | 暁 | あかつき | akatsuki |
breakfast | 朝食 | ちょうしょく | choushoku |
breakfast | 朝ご飯 | あさごはん | asagohan |
wake-up | 起床 | きしょう | kishou |
awake, awakening | 目覚め | めざめ | mezame |
wake-up call | モーニングコール | もーにんぐこーる | mooningucooru |
alarm clock | 目覚まし時計 | めざましどけい | mezamashidokei |
sunrise | 朝焼け | あさやけ | asayake |
sunrise | 日の出 | ひので | hinode |
oversleep | 朝寝坊 | あさねぼう | asanebou |
bed hair | 寝癖 | ねぐせ | neguse |
drowsiness, sleepiness | 眠気 | ねむけ | nemuke |
early bird | 朝型 | あさがた | asagata |
night owl | 夜型 | よるがた | yorugata |
Idioms and Proverbs
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
early morning | 朝っ腹 | あさっぱら | asappara |
a piece of cake | 朝飯前 | あさめしまえ | asameshimae |
early to bed and early to rise | 早寝早起き | はやねはやおき | hayane hayaoki |
in a short period of time | 一朝一夕 | いっちょういっせき | icchou isseki |
The early bird catches the worm. | 朝起きは三文の徳 | あさおきはさんもんのとく | asaoki wa sanmon no toku |
Life is short like morning dew. | 人生朝露の如し | じんせいちょうろのごとし | jinsei chouro no gotoshi |
A night owl sleeps in. | 宵っ張りの朝寝坊 | よいっぱりのあさねぼう | yoippari no asanebou |
Vocabulary associated with Japanese Morning
You can claim yourself an “almost Japanese” if you know more than five words and phrases from the list below. Despite some considerably intriguing Japanese customs, there is some infamous vocabulary you probably don’t want to experience. However, these are all a part of the archetypal Japanese culture and society.
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
over-crowded train | 満員電車 | まんいんでんしゃ | manindensha |
rush hour | 通勤ラッシュ | つうきんらっしゅ | tsuukinrasshu |
rush hour | ラッシュ時 | らっしゅじ | rasshuji |
radio calisthenics | ラジオ体操 | らじおたいそう | rajiotaisou |
morning assembly | 朝礼 | ちょうれい | chourei |
TV drama program in the morning* | 朝ドラ | あさどら | asadora |
to make a packed lunch box | お弁当作 | おべんとうづくり | obentouzukuri |
to eat Ramen noodles in the morning** | 朝ラーメン | あさらーめん | asa Ramen |
to go back to sleep | 二度寝 | にどね | nidone |
hangover | 二日酔い | ふつかよい | futsukayoi |
morning activities to fulfilling one's daily life | 朝活 | あさかつ | asa katsu |
early morning jogging | 早朝ジョギング | そうちょうじょぎんぐ | souchou Joggingu |
morning yoga | 朝ヨガ | あさよが | asa yoga |
to take a shower or bath in the morning*** | 朝風呂 | あさぶろ | asaburo |
*also known as れんぞくてれびしょうせつ (renzokuterebi shousetsu | 連続テレビ小説)
**sometimes abbreviated to あさらー (asaraa | 朝ラー)
***it’s common to have a shower at night in Japan
Common Japanese Morning Routine
Here is the list of the typical morning routine あさのしゅうかん (asa no shuukan | 朝の習慣) in Japan. Most of them should be familiar to you, but let’s look at how to say them in the Japanese language.
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
to get ready | 身支度を整える | みじたくをととのえる | mijitaku wo totonoeru |
to brush one's teeth | 歯磨きをする | はみがきをする | hamigaki wo suru |
to wash one's face | 顔を洗う | かおをあらう | kao wo arau |
to read the newspaper | 新聞を読む | しんぶんをよむ | shinbun wo yomu |
to listen to the radio | ラジオを聞く | らじおをきく | rajio wo kiku |
to use the internet | インターネットをする | いんたーねっとをする | intaanetto wo suru |
to watch the weather forecast | 天気予報を見る | てんきよほうをみる | tenkiyohou wo miru |
to clean up | 掃除をする | そうじをする | souji wo suru |
to do the laundry | 洗濯をする | せんたくをする | sentaku wo suru |
to do the housework | 家事をする | かじをする | kanji wo suru |
What Time? Words define the Morning Time
While listening to some Japanese news, you might have noticed specific words to note during the morning hours. According to Japan Meteorological Agency, the subdivision of the time of the day is below.
The exact interpretation may be slightly different in each TV or Radio station, but this would be helpful knowledge to have when you get detailed information concerning weather, earthquakes, and breaking news in Japan.
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
gray of the morning, from 0:00 am to 3:00 am or before sunrise | 未明 | みめい | mimei |
dawn, before sunrise | 夜明け | よあけ | yoake |
dawn, about 2 hours before sunrise ☆ | 夜明け前 | よあけまえ | yoakemae |
dawn, from 3:00 am to 6:00 am | 明け方 | あけがた | akegata |
dawn, about 2 hours before sunrise ☆ | 明け方前 | あけがたまえ | akegatamae |
early morning | 早朝 | そうちょう | souchou |
morning, from 6:00 am to 9:00 am ★ | 朝 | あさ | asa |
morning, from 6:00 am to 9:00 am ★ | 朝方 | あさがた | asagata |
from 0:00 am to 0:00 pm | 午前中 | ごぜんちゅう | gozenchuu |
morning and evening, from 0:00 am to 9:00 am and from 6:00 pm to 0:00 am | 朝晩 | あさばん | asaban |
morning and evening, from 0:00 am to 9:00 am and from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm | 朝夕 | あさゆう、ちょうせき | asayuu, chouseki |
this morning | 今朝 | けさ | kesa |
next morning | 明朝 | みょうちょう | myouchou |
Note: Those with ☆★ are identical
Other Japanese Daily Greetings
Apart from “good morning,” there are also other greetings in Japanese that you might hear every day.
Formal form
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
good morning | お早う御座います | おはようございます | ohayou gozaimasu |
hello or good afternoon | 今日は | こんにちは | konnichiwa |
good evening | 今晩は | こんばんは | konbanwa |
good night | お休みなさい | おやすみなさい | oyasumi nasai |
how are you? | 元気ですか? | げんきですか? | genki desuka? |
how have you been? | お元気でしたか? | おげんきでしたか? | ogenki deshitaka? |
I haven't seen you for a long time | ご無沙汰しています | ごぶさたしています | gobusata shiteimasu |
goodbye | 左様なら | さようなら | sayounara |
goodbye | さよなら | sayonara |
Informal Form
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
good morning | お早う | おはよう | ohayou |
hello or good afternoon | 今日は | こんにちは | konnichiwa |
hello | やあ | yaa | |
how are you? | 元気? | げんき? | genki? |
long time no see | 久し振り | ひさしぶり | hisashiburi |
hello, thanks | どうも | doumo | |
bye | バイバイ | ばいばい | baibai |
see you | また | mata | |
take care | 気を付けて | きをつけて | ki wo tsukete |
take care and have a safe trip | 気を付けて帰ってね | きをつけてかえってね | ki wo tsukete kaette ne |
good night | お休み | おやすみ | oyasumi |
Learning Japanese with Positive Attitude
What do greetings mean to you? Greetings are simply an act of communication, a part of social manners, and could also be a security and safety confirmation to each other. They can be an aid to make the conversations smoother at times, even though Japanese people put importance on greeting people way more than that.
The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs has been surveying the Public opinion survey on the national language since 1995. As a result of this survey, they found out that many Japanese people believe the beauty of the Japanese language lives in compassionate communication, humble and modest expressions, words associated with seasons and nature, and Japanese greetings.
Today, we learned when and how to greet “good morning” in Japan. People in Japan often say that a pleasant day starts with a cheery attitude and warm greetings. Let’s start a day with a nice “ohayou!”
がんばってください (Ganbatte kudasai)! ^^