Greetings and politeness

Japanese greetings change with the time of day and with how well you know someone. The polite forms below are safe with anyone; see Plain and polite speech for when to drop them with friends.

Hello and goodbye

こんにちは and こんばんは end in は said wa: they were once the start of a sentence, "as for today...". Friends and colleagues who see each other every day often skip the greeting and say お疲れ様 otsukaresama "good work" instead, at any hour.

Thank you and sorry

すみません does three jobs: it gets attention in a shop or on the street, apologises for something small, and thanks someone for going to trouble. ごめんなさい is a real apology, to someone you know. For a favour already done, say ありがとうございました, in the past.

Meeting someone

• 初めまして。田中です。
  Hajimemashite. Tanaka desu.
  How do you do? I'm Tanaka.
• どうぞよろしくお願いします。
  Dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
  Pleased to meet you.
  literally "please treat me well"; it also closes any request
• お元気ですか。
  O-genki desu ka.
  How are you?
  to someone you haven't seen for a while, not every day
• はい、元気です。
  Hai, genki desu.
  Yes, I'm well.

People are addressed by family name with さん: 田中さん. Never put さん after your own name, and use a name rather than あなた "you" (Word order).

At meals and at the door

Please and here you are

どうぞ dōzo offers something: "go ahead", "here you are", "after you". お願いします onegai shimasu asks for something: コーヒーをお願いします "coffee, please". The two answer each other: どうぞ, then ありがとうございます.

• どうぞ、お先に。
  Dōzo, osaki ni.
  Please, after you.
• すみません、水をお願いします。
  Sumimasen, mizu o onegai shimasu.
  Excuse me, some water, please.