10 Essential Japanese Greeting Phrases for Beginners

1. Time-Based Greetings

Japanese greetings change depending on the time of day.

• Ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます) — Morning greeting (until around 10am)
• Konnichiwa (こんにちは) — Afternoon greeting (10am–5pm)
• Konbanwa (こんばんは) — Evening greeting (after 5pm)

In casual situations, these are often shortened to "Ohayou" or "Konchiwa."

2. Meeting Someone for the First Time

• Hajimemashite (はじめまして) — "Nice to meet you"
• Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (よろしくお願いします) — A must-use phrase after introducing yourself

In business settings, you would say "○○ to moushimasu. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu" for a more formal introduction.

3. Saying Goodbye

• Sayounara (さようなら) — Formal goodbye
• Jaa ne / Mata ne (じゃあね / またね) — Casual goodbye between friends
• Otsukaresama desu (お疲れ様です) — Used when leaving the workplace

4. Expressing Gratitude

• Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) — Polite "thank you"
• Doumo (どうも) — Casual thanks, commonly used among friends

5. Apologizing

• Sumimasen (すみません) — A versatile phrase for light apologies and getting attention
• Gomen nasai (ごめんなさい) — A more heartfelt apology

"Sumimasen" is incredibly useful — you can also use it to call a waiter at a restaurant!

Summary

Just by memorizing these 10 phrases, you'll be able to handle basic communication in Japanese. Start by practicing them out loud!