Japanese · Greetings & Phrases
こんにちは
konnichiwa
Hello / Good afternoon
Beginnerphrase
Definition
A general greeting used during the daytime. It is the most common way to say hello in Japanese.
Example
こんにちは、お元気ですか？
Hello, how are you?
Etymology
The word 'こんにちは' (konnichiwa) is derived from the term '今日は' (konnichiwa), which originally meant 'today' or 'this day'. It evolved into a standard greeting used during the daytime.
How & Where It’s Used
'こんにちは' is commonly used in informal to semi-formal contexts during the daytime. It's a spoken greeting prevalent throughout Japan without significant regional variations.