Various Ways to Say Hello in Japanese

In how many languages can you say hello? “Ola” “Bonjour” “Konnichiwa”. It is not difficult to remember the most used way to say it. However, there are various ways to say hello in every country and each has a tiny difference of nuance. I would like to introduce several ways to say hello in Japanese. If you master them at least, you will make yourself look fluent in Japanese.

1. こんにちは / Konnichiwa

This is the most known way to say hello. You can use this in formal scenes and negative scenes. In my opinion, it is used more in formal situations or strangers. I don’t use it when I greet to close friends.

2. うっす / Ussu

This is a very casual way to say it. If you say it to people who are older than you or customers. you will lose the trust or get scold. It is used among young generations. However, we actually use a lot in formal situations. The tip is not to say clearly. but try to mumble. So it sounds like saying “Konnichiwa”.

3. うい / Ui

This is a super casual way. There is no tip to use it in business scenes. You can never use it in formal situations. But it can be used in a casual way.

4. どーも / Do-mo

This is not as casual as Ussu and Ui. In my image, it is used among neighbors. When you see your neighbors, you can say “Do-mo”.