Do Japanese People Really Say These?
Textbooks teach a few standard greetings first. They are all correct — but Japanese people do not use all of them in the same way with friends.
The best greeting depends on the time, the person, and the situation. Let’s look at what sounds natural in real life.
The Big Difference
These textbook greetings are not equally common in casual conversation.
Friends really do say this.
Correct and polite, but not very common between close friends.
Natural in polite situations, but less common with close friends.
Correct, but people often choose another expression in everyday life.
Who Are You Talking To?
The most natural greeting changes depending on your relationship with the person. Compare casual Japanese with polite Japanese in the same situation.
In a workplace, this is often more natural than a time-of-day greeting.
The morning greeting is different: close friends really do use it. Standard daytime and evening greetings are much more common in polite situations.
How Do People Really Say Goodbye?
The textbook goodbye is correct Japanese, but it is not the default in many everyday situations.
Common Casual Goodbyes
These are different ways to say goodbye to friends. Choose the one that feels natural to you.
See you!
See you!
Bye!
There Isn’t Just One Polite “Goodbye”
In polite Japanese, what you say often depends on the situation.
Thank you very much.
Excuse me for leaving before you.
Common when work or an activity has finished.
With friends, you have several casual ways to say goodbye. In polite situations, the expression often changes depending on what is happening.
Choose by Situation
Think about who you are talking to and what is happening.
Which Sounds Most Natural?
Choose what you think sounds most natural, then tap to check.
01
You meet your close friend at 8:00 a.m.
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This is very natural between friends in the morning.
02
You meet your close friend at 2:00 p.m.
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The standard daytime greeting is correct, but close friends often use something casual or simply start talking.
03
You meet a friend you have not seen for six months.
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This is a very natural way to greet a friend you have not seen for a while.
04
You are leaving your close friends after dinner.
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This and other casual goodbye expressions are common between friends.
05
You see a coworker during the workday.
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This is extremely common in Japanese workplaces.
06
You are speaking politely to someone in the evening.
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This is natural in polite situations in the evening.
07
You finish work and are leaving for the day.
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This is a common polite expression when work or an activity has finished.
08
You finish receiving help or service and want to leave politely.
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In many polite situations, thanking the person sounds more natural than using the textbook goodbye.
09
You meet your teacher after a long time.
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This is a natural polite way to greet someone you have not seen for a while.
Correct Japanese ≠ Always Natural Japanese
The textbook greetings on this page are all correct Japanese. The key is learning who says what, to whom, and in which situation.