The Importance of Japanese Greetings
The first thing foreigners should learn about any languages is greeting. For the Japanese, Konnichiwa is probably one of the first words that would be taught in any language class.
The importance of a greeting is the fact that it allows people to communicate and connect with another person. It bridges and starts a conversation. Greetings can be said both casually and formally depending on the receiving end of a greeting. In any case, when meeting an acquaintance or sometimes even a stranger, a proper greeting is called for.
In Japan, respect is one of the most important tenets in their life. It is so important that it is taught to children at a very young age not only at home but also in school. Creating harmony with other people is also one other important lesson that is taught. A simple greeting is a stepping stone for which good relationships are built. It is through this simple sharing of attention and acknowledgment that harmony is developed.
According to some psychologists, a greeting shows the overall confidence of a person. It sets an impression during introductions and first-time meetings. In many religious teaching, it is a way of showing consideration and attention to another person. It is a form of charity where joy and happiness are shared with another person. Generally, a greeting may be a quick and simple gesture but it will surely take anyone very far.
Greetings are very important that they are used in both speaking and writing. Letters are usually started with simple greetings. Meetings are begun with simple introductions and salutations. Greetings are important in a lot of aspects of a person’s daily life.
A few statistics show that the habit of greeting acquaintances have declined in today’s youth. This shows that the culture of the younger generation has changed in the last few decades. In the last few years, in fact, the influx of technology has significantly affected how the younger generation build relationships with others.
Etiquette in Japanese Greetings
For Japanese, greetings are very important as it is a reflection of respect. Children are often taught how to properly deliver greetings. These greetings are often given with energy, excitement, and strength. When people greet lazily, often misinterpreted as disdain or contempt. Misunderstandings are often aimed to be avoided which is why greetings are important.
It is also important to understand that greetings involve physical gestures. In Japan, a handshake is not too common and instead they replace this with a bow. There are bows that only involve a nod of the head. However, more formal greetings include a 10 degree or a 45-degree bend of the body.
It is important to remember that giving eye contact while bowing is seemed as rude by many people. When you bowing, the hands must be placed at the sides firmly. Also, the line of the head must be parallel to the line of the back. A crouching bow is also considered rude and lousy.
Different kinds of greetings
Greeting Formally
When giving a formal greeting, it is important to be respectful. It is also essential to keep the gaze lowered. Although it is considered rude to give eye contact when having a conversation, constantly averting one’s eye may be awkward. Try to keep balance for this. A 45-degree bow is essential for formal greetings. It is important to note that the deeper the bow, the more respect is being offered.
Another matter to be consider is to remember how to properly address the other individual. It might be a good thing to brush up on some honorifics.
Greeting informally
Although an informal greeting is given to people of kin or close relationship, it is important to give a small bow or tip of the head. It is still important to give respect to the other person. Also, it is very important to give a smile. Although smiling for the Japanese is not that common, a warm and heartfelt greeting is still welcome. Furthermore, it is important to remember that physical contact must be avoided at all times. Even during greeting a close friend, being touchy with the other person especially of the opposite sex is quite disrespectful.
It is quite noticeable that things have changed with the younger generations and common greetings may have evolved over the past few decades. Being observant will definitely help in adjusting to the culture. The good thing is that the Japanese can be understanding people who are not familiar with their culture.
The different kinds of Japanese greetings
In French, they say bonjour. In Korea, they say Anneong. In Filipino, they say Kamusta. There are different ways of saying hello in different languages. In Japan, they say Konnichiwa. However, you should note that there are different kinds of japanese greetings not just Konnichiwa.
Ohayou Gozaimasu
This phrase literally means “Good Morning” and is one of the common greetings in Japan. People often use this once entering the office to greet co-workers.
This greeting can be used for formal situations like greeting a teacher, an employer, or any acquaintance who does not have a close relationship with the greeter. The longer an expression is, the more formal it usually becomes. This is why a long greeting is usually used for formal situations. A shorter version of this is Ohayou and is often used for more casual scenarios like greeting a friend or an acquaintance.
Moshi-Moshi
Although it is unusual, the Japanese use a different greeting when answering phone calls or when calling someone. They often used the phrase “Moshi-Moshi”, a lot of locals call this as the telephone hello. In Japanese history, the word moshi was derived from another word which means “to say”. In the earlier time, it was used when an inferior speaking to a person who is much higher status as if to ask permission “to say” something. Its archaic form is moushimasu.
Through the centuries, it has been turned into a more casual greeting. However, it is important to note that it is not used every time a phone call is answered. This is because of the fact that it does not always sound polite. Japanese speakers often use “Moshi-Moshi” when answering a phone call from people they have close relationships with. When answering a phone call involving more formal situations, other greetings must be used.
Nowadays, a lot of people prefer using hai when answering a phone call instead of using Moshi-Moshi. It is much safe because although it is still a bit casual it does not sound impolite. For a more formal and safe way to answer a phone call, people usually use odenwa Arigatou gozaimasu which means “Thank you for your call”.
Tadaima
This particular expression is not used when greeting someone on the streets. It is very casual and is used only at home. Tadaima literally means “I’m home” and is normally used by the Japanese as an announcement of presence or arrival. It can become a routine and it is more polite to announce one’s presence than to just enter the house.
Hajimemashite
In English, people can say “Hi, how are you?” there is also a Japanese equivalent for this kind of greeting. The only difference is the fact that this particular greeting is used when meeting someone for the first time. This particular greeting is used with the goal of starting and enriching a relationship with someone new. It may be a co-worker, an acquaintance, or a friend. It is good to remember that first impression always last!
Konban Wa
If Ohayou is appropriate for the start of the day, it is best to greet with Konbanwa at night. This literally means “Good Evening” in Japanese. This particular phrase is used around after 6 PM at night.
Irasshaimase
Greetings and proper etiquette are very important for the Japanese. It is a must thing for workers at a restaurant or a store to greet their clientele. Saying Irasshaimase means of welcoming their customers to their shop. This particular word was derived from a more archaic terminology which means “to come”. It is used as a means of thanking customers for coming into their store and looking their goods.
Learning a few useful Japanese phrases
The words Konnichiwa, Ohayou, and Konbanwa is usually used on a daily basis. However, it might be a good thing to learn a few other Japanese greetings which are used for special occasions. There are greetings for different occasions.
O-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu
Birthday greetings are very special not only for the Japanese. Although not all people want to be greeted, it will be special to greet someone during their birthday. The expressions o-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu is a formal way to say Happy Birthday in Japanese.
Akamashite Omedetou gozaimasu
New Year is the most special occasion. The expression Akemashite Omedetou is a way of giving which is cerebrate new year by greeting.
A Japanese Hello: Konnichiwa Meaning
The word Ohayou is often used for saying “Good Morning”. The problem is that there are times of the day when the word Ohayou is not appropriate anymore. There is no phrase to directly mean “Good afternoon” in Japanese. This is why many Japanese would use “Konnichiwa” which literally means “Good Day”. This is a greeting which can be used at any time of the day. However, at night it would be best to use Konbanwa which translates directly to “Good Evening”.
Konnichiwa in Japanese writing
Konnichiwa in Kanji 今日は
There are different ways to write Konnichiwa in Japanese. One way, a less common means of writing it is through its Kanji form. It is a combination of different characters where 今 or Kon which means ‘this’, the character 日 or niche which means ‘day’, and the character は or wa which is just a grammatical connector for the two characters. The word literally means ‘today’.
Konnichiwa Hiragana こんにちは
The hiragana form of writing, as many would understand, is written as it is pronounced. Reading the word will literally mean Kon-ni-chi-wa.
Understanding the Japanese Language
It is said that the Asian languages are the most difficult to learn in the world. This is because of all learning skills must be mastered. Learning point is speaking and listening are often correlated with each other. The ability to listen can help improve the ability to speak the language. Furthermore, the ability to write helps improve a person’s capability to read the language.
The problem with the Japanese language, is the fact that there are different ways of writing – kanji, katakana, and hiragana. All three have thousands of characters so that you have to memorize.
Understanding the Japanese language is important for travelers who wish to go to Japan for a long period. For short trips, simple conversational phrases may be good. This includes learning how to greet, apologize.