konnichiwa

Konnichiwa is a common Japanese greeting used during the daytime. It is typically translated as "hello" or "good afternoon" and is appropriate when meeting someone, starting a conversation, or addressing a group in everyday social or professional settings.

The term is written in kana as こんにちは and romanized as konnichiwa. It is built from the elements kon (this), nichi (day), and wa (the topic marker). The phrase is understood as a contraction of an older greeting, often explained as "konnichi wa," meaning "this day is well" or "today is good." In ordinary speech the final wa is pronounced as "wa," even though the character は is normally read as "ha" in other contexts.

Usage spans casual to semi-formal situations. It is common among friends, coworkers, and strangers when meeting during daylight hours. In formal or business contexts, speakers may opt for more formal language or pair the greeting with polite address, and speakers may choose alternative time-specific greetings such as ohayō gozaimasu in the morning or konbanwa in the evening.

Notes: While widely used in daily life, "konnichiwa" is primarily a daytime greeting and its appropriateness depends on context and relationship. In writing, it is typically seen in kana rather than kanji, and in international contexts it may be transcribed as "konnichiwa" or "konnichi wa."