Here are some of the most common greetings that Japanese use in their daily conversations.
おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu)
Good morning.
こんにちは (konnichiwa)
Good day. Hello. It is actually more of a daytime greeting rather than a direct meaning of "Good afternoon". Take note that its pronounce as "konnichiwa" although it is written as "konnichiha".
こんばんは (konbanwa)
Good evening. Similar to konnichiwa, its is pronounced as "konbanwa" although the hiragana is "konbanha".
おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai)
Good night.
ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)
Thank you.
すみません (sumimasen)
It can mean "Excuse me" when you are trying to get the waiter's attention or when you are barging through a crowded street.
It can also mean "Sorry" when apologizing for the trouble caused
It can also mean "Thank you" when you show your appreciation to someone.
ごめんなさい (gomen nasai)
It means sorry as well, but at a more casual level than sumimasen. Gomennasai may be more common when apologizing among peers, whilst sumimasen when apologizing to someone more senior.
しつれします (shitsure shimasu)
It is more formal than sumimasen and often used with superiors. Like for example, you would like to excuse yourself from a room with a professor.
もうしわけありません (moushiwake arimasen)
This is a very formal expression for apology.
いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)
Welcome! as in when welcoming guest into your business premises.
ようこそ (youkoso)
Welcome as in "Welcome to Japan"
いってきます (ittekimasu)
Literally means "I will go and come back". Often use when one is going out from home for school, work, etc. It is a combination of the words "いく" which means to go and "くる" which means to come.
いってらっしゃい (itterasshai）
This is a response to ittekimasu that can literally mean "Please go and come back". It is often wished by family members or friends that the someone will have a safe journey and comes home safely.
ただいま (tadaima)
I'm home. Use when you reached home.
おかえりなさい (okaerinasai)
Welcome home. It is a response to tadaima.
いただきます (itadakimasu)
Literally means "Thank you for the food". It is an expression of gratitude before a meal. It is often uttered while holding both of your palms together while clasping the chopstick between your thumbs and 2nd finger together.
ごちそうさま (gochisousama)
Again it means "Thank you for the food" but it is uttered after the meal. Often when in a restaurant setting, it is to acknowledge to the chef that you have thoroughly enjoy his cooking.
おつかれさま (otsukaresama)
Thank you for your hard work. Used amongst colleagues when you leave for home. Or it can also be a sign of gratitude for a job well done by someone.
おじゃまします (ojamashimasu)
Sorry for disturbing. An expression used when entering someone's home.
おまたせしました (omataseshimashita)
I am sorry for keeping you waiting.
さようなら (sayounara)
Farewell. Goodbye.
Note: Normally, sayounara is used when parting for a very long time or in other words "So long, till fate meets us again".
If you are parting with your friend at the end of the day and expecting to see them again very soon, you should say じゃあ、また。(Jaa, mata) or じゃ、ね。(Jaa, ne) which both means "See you soon"
はじめまして (hajimemashite)
Nice to meet you. A common greeting when you meet some one for the first time. hajimemashite comes from the root word hajimeru which means "to begin/start"
どうぞよろしくおねがいします (douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu)
It is difficult to have a direct translation for this. But it is often used at the end of an introduction. It means something along the line of "Please take care of me", "I am in your debt", "Please be kind to me" and "Pleased to meet you"
e.g: はじめまして。トムです。どうぞよろしくおねがいします。
Nice to meet you. I am Tom. Please take care of me.
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