Is konichiwa too formal? (2024)

Is konichiwa too formal?

"Konnichiwa" is a general greeting used to say "hello" or "good afternoon" in Japanese. It is considered a polite and appropriate greeting for addressing people of any age or rank in a casual or informal setting.

Is konichiwa formal?

You would actually use it to greet strangers or in formal situations but, even though it is formal, “konnichiwa”, the well-known hello in Japanese, would not normally be used when greeting colleagues, as it is not considered polite.

Is it ok to say konnichiwa?

There are many other more specific or more informal ways to greet people, as you'll see here, but konnichiwa is the golden standard, just like “hello” in English. That said, it may be a little formal for close friends – but don't worry, we have you covered with tons of other ways to say a casual hi in Japanese.

What is the polite version of konnichiwa?

Otsukaresama desu (お疲れ様です) is used in the workplace. Konnichiwa (こんにちは) is used as a formal hello between late morning and evening. In contrast, yā (やあ), yō (よう), yahhō (ヤッホ) and saikin dō (最近どう)) are used informally to greet friends! Dōmo (どうも) is more friendly formal.

How do you greet formally in Japanese?

When meeting someone for the first time in a casual setting, it is common for people to say “Hajimemash*te” ('Nice to meet you'). Meanwhile in formal settings, the most common greeting is “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu”.

Is konnichiwa formal or informal?

こんにちは (konnichiwa) - “Hello” in Japanese

While it can be used in both formal and informal situations, you're more likely to hear it used between strangers or in more formal situations. こんにちは also literally means “good afternoon”, so you'll typically here this said at that time.

Is Hello considered formal?

Formal greetings are usually used when you are speaking with your employer or someone of high authority examples include Hello,Good morning, Nice to meet you. Informal greetings are usually used when speaking with friends or relatives examples,hey,how are ya, what's up . ALBERT.

Do you say Konnichiwa in email?

In Japanese, which greeting do you use in a message/note/letter? In Japanese, a common greeting used in a message/note/letter is "こんにちは" (konnichiwa), which means "hello" or "good day." This greeting is appropriate for any time of the day and is widely used in both formal and informal communication.

What should I reply to konnichiwa?

I was wondering about this myself and so I decided to find out. When someone greets you in Japanese with “Konnichiwa” it is best to respond with the same phrase “Konnichiwa”.

Is it Moshi Moshi or konnichiwa?

Both of the words are used in Japan. The reason why is that they are different in each meaning. "Moshi Moshi" means "hello" as answering the phone (or "excuse me" as calling to attention). "Konnichiwa" means "good afternoon" or "hello" as a casual greeting.

How do you say hello in a formal way?

The most respectful greetings are formal ones like "hello," or time-related greetings like "good morning" or "good evening." To make it even more respectful, add the listener's formal title afterwards, like "hello, Mr. or Mrs. ______," or even "hello, sir or ma'am."

Is Hi hello formal or informal?

Both of these words are used when we want to greet someone. However, 'hello' is more formal, whereas, 'hi' is a friendly term.

What does Moshi Moshi mean?

Moshi moshi, or もしもし, is a common Japanese phrase that Japanese people use when picking up the phone. It's a casual greeting used for friends and family, like a “hello”, but in fact means something entirely different! In English, it literally means something more like, “to say to say”, or “I speak I speak”.

Can you say konnichiwa at night?

The Japanese have no one word for hello, they instead have three major greetings based on morning, afternoon, and evening, and a form used when speaking on the telephone. Use "Ohayou" from waking to about 12:00, "Konnichiwa" until dusk, "Konbanwa" throughout the evening, and "Oyasumi" only before bed or sleeping.

Can you just say ohayo?

The first way to say good morning is ohayō おはよう (pronounced a lot like the state Ohio). This is the casual form, which you'd mainly use with close friends and family members. The second way to say good morning in Japanese is ohayō gozaimasu おはようございます. This is a more formal version.

What does Gozaimasu mean?

Arigatou on its own is a casual “thank you,” while gozaimasu is like adding a “very much”. You can't say gozaimasu on its own, it wouldn't mean much of anything, but arigatou is a nice quick thanks for casual situations, and arigatou gozaimasu is an excellent way to politely express your thanks.

Why is it konnichiwa and not konichiwa?

The reason "konnichiwa" is written as "konnichiha" in romanized Japanese is because the Japanese writing system does not have a distinct "wa" character. Instead, the syllable "wa" is represented by the character "ha" when it is used as a grammatical particle indicating the topic of a sentence.

What is the opposite of konnichiwa?

Konbanwa (こんばんわ)

After around 6pm or sunset, you can use konbanwa, which roughly translates to “good evening,” but literally means “tonight.” In contrast to “konnichiwa”, “konbanwa” sounds more formal, and most people don't use it with their close acquaintances.

What is Domo Arigato?

Domo arigato (どうもありがとう, Dōmo arigatō) (pronounced [doꜜːmo aɾiꜜɡatoː]) is a Japanese phrase meaning "Thanks a lot" or "Thank you very much".

Which is not a formal greeting?

For example, while "Good morning" can be a formal greeting, simply stating "Morning" makes it informal. "How are you?" is a formal greeting, but saying or writing, "How are ya?" is informal.

How do you politely greet someone?

Is hello more formal than hey?

Similarly, "Hello" is more formal than "hi," which is more formal than "hey." That said, "hey" seems to be the most effective opening as we mentioned above. Just be sure to use it in the right setting. Whatever you do, try to avoid addressing a mixed gender group with "Hi guys," since it doesn't sound very inclusive.

Can you say konnichiwa to a teacher?

The proper way to greet a teacher is: “Sensei, Ohayou gozai-masu” (先生、おはようございます) before 10 am. “Sensei, Konnichiwa” (先生、こんにちは) after 10 am. “Sensei, Konbanwa” (先生、こんばんは) after the sun goes down.

How would you Japanese man greet you?

In Japan, people greet each other by bowing. A bow can ranges from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist. A deeper, longer bow indicates respect and conversely a small nod with the head is casual and informal.

Is Moshi Moshi formal?

If you're receiving a call from family or friends, moshi moshi is the way to go. But never use it in business situations. It's considered rude because it's a shortened phrase. Younger Japanese people don't always know not to use "moshi moshi" in formal telephone calls (Honestly.