When you see someone in the morning at work or at school, what do…
When you see someone in the morning at work or at school, what do you say? You probably say “good morning” or something similar. Now that you’re learning Japanese, do you know how to say “good morning” in Japanese? To start your day off on the right foot, it helps to know how to begin your first conversation.
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What is ‘good morning’ in Japanese?
Depending on who you’re talking to, you might choose one of several Japanese phrases to say “good morning.” Here are five handy morning greetings for you to know and use!
Ohayō
For family, friends, and other people you typically use casual speech with, you can use ohayō (おはよう) for “good morning.”
- Ohayō, mama.（おはよう、ママ。）= Good morning, Mom.
- Ohayō! Asagohan taberu?（おはよう！朝ご飯食べる？）= Good morning! Are you eating breakfast?
Ohayō gozaimasu
For everyone else, ohayō gozaimasu (おはようございます) is the appropriate way to say “good morning.” This goes for teachers, coworkers, and strangers.
- Ohayō gozaimasu, nishimata sensei.（おはようございます、西俣先生。）= Good morning, Professor Nishimata.
When deciding how to say “good morning” in Japanese in formal vs. informal speech, ask yourself if you would attach one of the polite Japanese honorifics to the other person’s name. If the answer is “yes,” go with ohayō gozaimasu.
Guddo mōningu
Have you ever greeted someone in another language just for fun? Guddo mōningu (グッドモーニング) is literally the English “good morning” with Japanese pronunciation. Like the vast majority of Japanese loanwords, this expression is written using the katakana writing system.
- Guddo mōningu betonamu!（グッドモーニング・ベトナム！）= Good morning, Vietnam!
If you want to have some extra fun, you can even say “good morning” in different languages…in Japanese!
- gūten morugen (グーテンモルゲン): guten Morgen (“good morning” in German)
- bonjoruno (ボンジョルノ): buongiorno (“good morning” in Italian)
- bonjūru (ボンジュール): From the French bonjour
You can also try the reverse by using Japanese immersion and saying ohayō to greet your fellow English speakers instead of “good morning.”
Ohayō san
When traveling in the Kansai region of Japan (primarily the areas around Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe), you might hear ohayō san as a morning greeting. It means the same thing as ohayō gozaimasu, but in a Japanese dialect known as Kansai-ben! It’s also not uncommon to hear it from someone (typically a man) of higher social status to someone of lower social status (like a boss to a subordinate).
In response, the other person should use ohayō gozaimasu.
- Fujiwara kun, ohayō san.（藤原君、おはようさん。）= Good mornin’, Fujiwara.
- Ohayō gozaimasu, honda buchō.（おはようございます、本田部長。）. Good morning, Mr. Honda.
Gokigenyō
On the almost comically formal side, you can say gokigenyō (ごきげんよう) to greet someone (or wish someone well) at any time of day, including the morning. This expression has the same elevated, archaic feeling as “good day” or “greetings” in English. While you’re unlikely to hear or use it with its original meaning, you may encounter it in a joking way.
- Gokigenyō, okā sama.（ごきげんよう、お母様。）= Good day to you, Mother.
What time can you say ‘good morning’ in Japanese?
Generally speaking, you can say “good morning” until about 10 or 11 a.m. Japanese greetings can be roughly divided into these time frames, but different people can have varying perceptions of what word makes sense to them at any given time of day:
- Ohayō gozaimasu (good morning): First thing in the morning until 11 a.m.
- Konnichiwa (hello/good afternoon): 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Konbanwa (good evening): 6 p.m. to all through the night
To steadily improve your Japanese, start using your Rosetta Stone app in the morning with a confident “good morning” in Japanese: ohayō! Whether you spend ten minutes completing a lesson while lying in bed or choose to read a story over breakfast, daily practice will put you on the path to fluency.
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