Casual
Greeting your family
Morning Greeting
When you greet someone in the morning, you say:
おはよう
Pro Tip
The vowel O in よ is followed by う, so stretch the sound よ
Level Up Your Politeness
おはよう is the casual ためぐち version. For teachers, superiors, or neighbors, add:
おはよう + ございます
ございます transforms phrases into けいご (polite language)
When to Use Each Form
Polite
Meeting your neighbor
Casual
Seeing friends
Polite
Greeting teachers
Polite
Senpai & Kōhai
Casual
With coworkers
Polite
Meeting your boss
Quick Reference
Use おはよう with people
you speak ためぐち to
Use おはようございます with people you speak けいご to
Did You Know?
In Japanese workplaces, we say おはようございます even at night! 🌃
It's considered the first greeting of the day, regardless of the actual time. When I worked at a restaurant starting at 5 PM, everyone still greeted with "ohayō!"
This isn't universal, but it's pretty common in many Japanese workplaces.