Greetings and Set Phrases in Japanese

Overview

Japanese greetings and set phrases are among the first things you will learn, and they are far more than simple pleasantries. Many of these expressions are deeply embedded in Japanese culture and carry meanings that go beyond their literal translations. Knowing when and how to use them will immediately help you navigate everyday situations.

At the A1 level, these phrases are learned as fixed expressions. You do not need to analyze their grammar yet. Just memorize them, practice the pronunciation, and pay attention to the social context in which each one is used. Over time, you will start to see the grammatical structures hidden inside them.

How It Works

Japanese greetings often have polite and casual forms. The polite forms (marked by ございます, ます, or longer phrasing) are the safe default for most situations.

Time-based greetings

Japanese	Reading	English	When to use
おはようございます	ohayou gozaimasu	Good morning (polite)	Morning, until ~10am
おはよう	ohayou	Good morning (casual)	With friends/family
こんにちは	konnichiwa	Hello / Good afternoon	Daytime (~10am-6pm)
こんばんは	konbanwa	Good evening	Evening
おやすみなさい	oyasumi nasai	Good night (polite)	Before sleeping
おやすみ	oyasumi	Good night (casual)	With friends/family

Essential social phrases

Japanese	Reading	English	Context
ありがとうございます	arigatou gozaimasu	Thank you very much	Polite, most situations
ありがとう	arigatou	Thanks	Casual
すみません	sumimasen	Excuse me / I'm sorry	Getting attention, light apology
ごめんなさい	gomen nasai	I'm sorry	Apology (slightly more personal)
お願いします	onegai shimasu	Please (requesting)	When asking for something
どうぞ	douzo	Please (offering) / Go ahead	Offering something, giving permission

Meal-related phrases

Japanese	Reading	English	When to use
いただきます	itadakimasu	(Before eating)	Before starting a meal
ごちそうさまでした	gochisousama deshita	(After eating)	After finishing a meal

Coming and going

Japanese	Reading	English	Context
行ってきます	ittekimasu	I'm off (I'll go and come back)	Leaving home
行ってらっしゃい	itterasshai	Take care / See you later	Response to 行ってきます
ただいま	tadaima	I'm home	Arriving home
おかえりなさい	okaeri nasai	Welcome back	Response to ただいま

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
おはようございます。(ohayou gozaimasu.)	Good morning.	Polite, use at work or with strangers
すみません、ちょっといいですか？(sumimasen, chotto ii desu ka?)	Excuse me, do you have a moment?	Getting someone's attention politely
ありがとうございます。(arigatou gozaimasu.)	Thank you very much.	Standard polite thanks
いただきます。(itadakimasu.)	(Said before eating)	Literally "I humbly receive"
お先に失礼します。(osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.)	Excuse me for leaving before you.	Leaving the office before others
どうぞよろしくお願いします。(douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.)	Nice to meet you / Please take care of it.	Self-introductions, starting relationships
こんにちは、元気ですか？(konnichiwa, genki desu ka?)	Hello, how are you?	Casual greeting with friends
ごちそうさまでした。(gochisousama deshita.)	Thank you for the meal.	After eating, to the cook or host
行ってきます！(ittekimasu!)	I'm off!	Leaving the house
ただいま。(tadaima.)	I'm home.	Returning to the house

Common Mistakes

Using こんにちは with close friends

• Wrong: こんにちは、太郎！ (to a close friend you see every day)
• Right: おー、太郎！元気？
• Why: こんにちは feels somewhat formal or distant when used with close friends. Casual greetings like おー, やあ, or just asking 元気？ are more natural.

Saying ありがとう to a boss or stranger

• Wrong: ありがとう。 (to a senior colleague)
• Right: ありがとうございます。
• Why: The short form ありがとう is casual. Always use ありがとうございます in professional or polite settings.

Forgetting いただきます before meals

• Wrong: Starting to eat silently in a group setting.
• Right: Saying いただきます before your first bite.
• Why: Skipping this phrase is considered rude, especially when someone has prepared the food for you. It shows gratitude.

Practice Tips

• Make these phrases automatic by saying them out loud every day. Say おはようございます when you wake up, いただきます before meals, and ごちそうさまでした afterward, even if you are alone.
• Practice the leaving-and-returning pairs (行ってきます / 行ってらっしゃい, ただいま / おかえり) as call-and-response drills. This will help you react naturally in real-time.
• Pay attention to the politeness level. When in doubt, use the longer, polite form. It is never wrong to be too polite in Japanese.

Related Concepts

• Next steps: Family Terms — vocabulary that also has polite/humble distinctions