Useful greetings and goodbyes in Japanese (formal and informal)

There are many ways to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Japanese, depending on the situation. The way you greet your boss, for example, differs completely from the way you greet a friend. It also depends on whether you are greeting someone face to face or if you are writing an email in Japanese. So whether you want to say hello or goodbye formally (i.e. using keigo), or casually, we’ve listed up a handful of the most useful greetings and goodbyes in Japanese.

This phrase is typically spoken, rather than written, and is very often used in the workplace. Otsukare comes from the verb 疲れる (tsukareru), which means ‘to be tired.’ Thus, it can be loosely translated to ‘thank you for your hard work,’ however, it is more broadly used than that. It is commonly used to greet colleagues in the office at any time, or even clients if you know them well.

[Example]

お疲れ様です。明日の資料の確認をお願いします。

Otsukare sama desu. Ashita no shiryou no kakunin wo onegaishimasu.

(Good morning. Please check the documents that we will use tomorrow.)

Nuance tip: This should be used with colleagues or clients that you are very familiar with.

This phrase is quite formal, meaning ‘it’s been a while or Long time no see.’ It’s the formal version of 久しぶりです (hisashiburi desu), which we’ll see more on below. You can say it when you speak with or meet with someone for the first time in a while.

[Example]

ご無沙汰しております。いかがお過ごしでしょうか？

Gobusata shiteorimasu! Ikaga osugoshi deshouka?

(It’s been a while! How have you been?)

Nuance tip: This should be used with clients, superiors, or those more senior than you.

This phrase has a variety of meanings and use cases, and can also be either formal or informal, depending on the ending. よろしく (yoroshiku) followed by いたします (itashimasu) or 申し上げます (moushiagemasu) is more formal. Less formal is よろしく (yoroshiku) followed by お願いします (onegaishimasu) or even just よろしく (yoroshiku) on its own.

It can mean ‘regards,’ ‘nice to meet you,’ or ‘I look forward to working with you’ or even ‘please.’  In emails, it is commonly used to thank the person at the end, just before the sender’s name. When speaking, it can be used when you meet someone for the first time, when you are asking someone to do something for you, or when you have recently joined a new company and want to let your team know you are looking forward to working with them.

[Example]

会議当日はよろしくお願いいたします。

Kaigi toujitsu wa yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

(I look forward to our next meeting.)

Nuance tip: Use よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) with colleagues or friends, and use よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) or よろしくお願い申し上げます (yoroshiku onegai moushiagemasu) with external partners such as clients.

This is a very informal, friendly way to say hello. In English, it’s similar to ‘hey’ or ‘hi’. This is typically reserved for people who you are comfortable with.

[Example]

サトウさん、どうも。

Satou san, doumo.

(Hello there, Sato-san!)

Nuance tip: This phrase should be used with those close to you, typically friends, family, or colleagues.

This means, ‘it’s been a while or Long time no see’ You use this in casual settings, when you meet with someone you haven’t seen for a long time. The more formal version of this is ご無沙汰しております (gobusata shite orimasu), which we saw above.

[Example]

サトウさん、お久しぶりです！休暇はいかがでしたか？

Satou san, ohisashiburi desu! Kyuuka wa ikagadeshitaka?
(Long time no see, Sato-san! How was your vacation?)

Nuance tip: This phrase is typically used with friends, family, or familiar clients or colleagues.

This is a casual phrase used when you arrive back at home or the office, to let people know you have arrived. It’s used similarly to ‘I’m home!’ or ‘I’m back!’

You can also say 行ってきます (ittekimasu) when you are leaving somewhere. It can be loosely translated as ‘I’m leaving now!’ This is also casual and should only be used with those you are close to or very familiar with.

[Example]

ただいま！お腹すいちゃったな…

Tadaima! Onaka suichatta na…

(I’m home! I feel hungry…)

Nuance tip: This is most commonly used with family or friends, but can also be used at the office around those you know well.

This is also a common workplace phrase, said to coworkers as people leave the office. It means, ‘Please excuse me for leaving before you.’ You will sometimes hear people say the shortened version, お先に (osakini).

[Example]

この後、用事があるので、お先に失礼します。

Kono ato, youji ga arunode, osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.

(Please excuse me for leaving early as I have plans after this.)

Nuance tip: This phrase should be used with colleagues and superiors.

This is a bit more casual than the above phrase, 失礼いたします (shitsurei itashimasu). It is very similar to お疲れ様です (otsukare sama desu), introduced earlier. The difference comes from the ending – ‘desu’ – which indicates the present tense, while ‘deshita’ indicates the past tense. Therefore, it is used more as a farewell rather than a greeting and loosely means, ‘thank you for your hard work today.’

[Example]

今日はお疲れ様でした。明日も頑張りましょう。

Kyou wa otsukare sama deshita. Ashita mo ganbari mashou.

(Good work today. Let’s do our best again tomorrow.)

Nuance tip: This should be used with colleagues or familiar clients.

This is very similar to the English ‘bye,’ however, in Japanese it is used exclusively for casual conversations. It’s often spoken, rather than written.

[Example]

気をつけて帰ってね。バイバイ！

Ki wo tsukete kaette ne. Bai bai!

(Have a safe trip home. Bye bye!)

Nuance tip: This is typically used between friends or family.

*Pro tip: Don’t say さようなら (sayounara) to say goodbye.

Learning how to say hello and goodbye may seem simple, but the phrases reveal many nuances and aspects of Japanese culture. If you’d like to take your language learning further, we’d love to help you. At TCJ, we offer a wide range of classes. These include courses for foreign residents, intensive courses, job hunting courses, JLPT courses, and more. Please get in touch if you require more information. Whatever your requirements, we can find the right Japanese language course for you.